Numi

[Sydney65]

Do you have an E-collar on the puppy? Hope he heals up before he can mess up his incision!

No, he isn't messing w/it but refuses to believe he can't be his jumping, dancing self, even if it does cause pain. He did the damage while being out to potty.

 

[Sydney65]

A cpl of days ahead of being wk #3. I've been putting the brooder at patio door this week like I did over the summer. I wasn't sure the hens wld react as the males did. They don't stand for long periods of time staring as the boys did. Instead they stay nearby all day and check in periodically.
Numi gives them a show, running, jumping & fluttering her wings.
I'm not sure if standing erect is a myth or only an adult male thing or if Numi is actually a he, but she stretches her body as upright as she can and then her neck so she looks like an adorable mini ostrich.
She no longer gets to sleep on me all night, but we do have (r2elk prepare to roll eyes) "cuddle time" a cpl of times a day. She does her ostrich thing while I rub her neck and head before closing her eyes and laying down. Her bright inquisitive eyes tickle me, bc she cocks her head while looking me in the eye like I'm the weirdest looking hen she cld imagine, but I'm HER weird looking hen, so it's all good.
Pictures are from outside of brooder so foggy. Have not been able to get a pic of ostrich pose,and never think to have camera nearby during cuddle time. But you can see the feeder I made for her. We laugh wondering how much longer she's going to be able to put her entire body inside of it.
She hasn't tried to get on the swing/perch yet but pecks at bells. There's another toy hanging down above her MHP tunnel that she does play with.
Also in package was a small ball w/bell in it & a tiny dumbbell rattle. I toss those inside the tunnel when I clean. She goes inside chattering until she finally tosses them back out, lol. Still loves to admire self in the mirror & peck at her reflection.
One pic shows her head, asleep on my shoulder. You can see how she shoves her head in my neck to sleep, as I assume they do under a hen. What you can't see is her little beak almost constantly opening and closing against my skin, not a bite or pinch, doesn't hurt, but it made me ponder having 24 doing that to a hen. Mb that's why a hen sometimes kicks someone out.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

A cpl of days ahead of being wk #3. I've been putting the brooder at patio door this week like I did over the summer. I wasn't sure the hens wld react as the males did. They don't stand for long periods of time staring as the boys did. Instead they stay nearby all day and check in periodically.
Numi gives them a show, running, jumping & fluttering her wings.
I'm not sure if standing erect is a myth or only an adult male thing or if Numi is actually a he, but she stretches her body as upright as she can and then her neck so she looks like an adorable mini ostrich.
She no longer gets to sleep on me all night, but we do have (r2elk prepare to roll eyes) "cuddle time" a cpl of times a day. She does her ostrich thing while I rub her neck and head before closing her eyes and laying down. Her bright inquisitive eyes tickle me, bc she cocks her head while looking me in the eye like I'm the weirdest looking hen she cld imagine, but I'm HER weird looking hen, so it's all good.
Pictures are from outside of brooder so foggy. Have not been able to get a pic of ostrich pose,and never think to have camera nearby during cuddle time. But you can see the feeder I made for her. We laugh wondering how much longer she's going to be able to put her entire body inside of it.
She hasn't tried to get on the swing/perch yet but pecks at bells. There's another toy hanging down above her MHP tunnel that she does play with.
Also in package was a small ball w/bell in it & a tiny dumbbell rattle. I toss those inside the tunnel when I clean. She goes inside chattering until she finally tosses them back out, lol. Still loves to admire self in the mirror & peck at her reflection.
One pic shows her head, asleep on my shoulder. You can see how she shoves her head in my neck to sleep, as I assume they do under a hen. What you can't see is her little beak almost constantly opening and closing against my skin, not a bite or pinch, doesn't hurt, but it made me ponder having 24 doing that to a hen. Mb that's why a hen sometimes kicks someone out.
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View attachment 2906573View attachment 2906574

Awwww! I wish I could see Numi better! It looks like you have a very entertaining set up for them. Glad to hear how well Numi is doing!

 

[Sydney65]

Awwww! I wish I could see Numi better! It looks like you have a very entertaining set up for them. Glad to hear how well Numi is doing!

Yeah, sorry, this tote is more opaque than the old one. I'll get some out of tote.
I felt I should try to give her stuff to do since I couldn't get her a buddy that late in the year.
I never thought I'd be one to do this, but I did order a diaper to try - I think it said for a bantum? 4-8". Have not found any instance of someone using on a guinea before. She still hasn't dropped on me but rather not take chances. Lol.
I fig we'd try one & see if she accepts it, then decide whether to size up. I clean her feet all the time anyway, so can use chlorhexadine solution to sanitize & give her some freedom later. I put pool inside of that net brooder, that gives her lots of space, but not much height for stretching her wings. Although it's contrary to healthy planet, kind of hoping for mild temps this winter sometimes so I can take her out. I remember that 1st Christmas it was so nice out that I sat outside w/the original 6 most of the day.

 

[Sydney65]

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

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Look who is getting so big!!!

 

[Sydney65]

Look who is getting so big!!!

Yes, it's confusing her; she sees the monster in the mirror now and goes on full out attack.
I'm working on weaning her from MHP, but this one is a challenge. All heating pads are not created equally. The one I had before had 4 levels w/a good temp range in btw. This one has 3, and we've been on low the entire time. I had mounted the pad from inside the tunnel,yesterday I put it on the outside. It makes a difference in the shape of it so she's not bundled up and cozy inside but still surrounded by a heat source and her feet stay toasty.
The best I can do is just shut it off next week & wait until she starts sleeping on top to remove it.
She's quite a chatty bird; he has a nature program on tv right now & she's ontop of her tunnel chatting at birds from Australia. Lol. - oh, yeah, forget that quiet rm nonsense, she's in the lvg rm & accustomed to the dogs sleeping next to her brooder & then moving to the patio door during the day. The dogs don't mess with her, but they still get locked up before we leave.

Still waiting for updates of your crew!

Twice a yr I strip my own house down for serious cleaning. Yesterday I was so busy w/that it was dark before I knew it & hadn't locked the coop up. I wasn't stressed bc they always go in the coop to wait for me...until last night.
I was out there for 1/2 an hr w/a flashlight calling them, they'd quietly coo but I wasn't getting any closer to finding them. Meanwhile I was freezing, so stepped into the run to get out of the wind while I figured out what to do next. Then I looked up.
When I cleaned, I had moved the extra shelf perches up by the ceiling to give the young ones more room to move around w/o crashing into them. All 3 of them were crammed together against the ceiling on one shelf.
Brodie is a scratch n pecker so there was almost as much food on the floor as bedding. We put up a cpl Royal Rooster feeders, and that took care of that issue. I won't be buying near as much feed now.
Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and now recovering from over eating.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Yes, it's confusing her; she sees the monster in the mirror now and goes on full out attack.
I'm working on weaning her from MHP, but this one is a challenge. All heating pads are not created equally. The one I had before had 4 levels w/a good temp range in btw. This one has 3, and we've been on low the entire time. I had mounted the pad from inside the tunnel,yesterday I put it on the outside. It makes a difference in the shape of it so she's not bundled up and cozy inside but still surrounded by a heat source and her feet stay toasty.View attachment 2910786
The best I can do is just shut it off next week & wait until she starts sleeping on top to remove it.
She's quite a chatty bird; he has a nature program on tv right now & she's ontop of her tunnel chatting at birds from Australia. Lol. - oh, yeah, forget that quiet rm nonsense, she's in the lvg rm & accustomed to the dogs sleeping next to her brooder & then moving to the patio door during the day. The dogs don't mess with her, but they still get locked up before we leave.

Still waiting for updates of your crew!

Twice a yr I strip my own house down for serious cleaning. Yesterday I was so busy w/that it was dark before I knew it & hadn't locked the coop up. I wasn't stressed bc they always go in the coop to wait for me...until last night.
I was out there for 1/2 an hr w/a flashlight calling them, they'd quietly coo but I wasn't getting any closer to finding them. Meanwhile I was freezing, so stepped into the run to get out of the wind while I figured out what to do next. Then I looked up.
When I cleaned, I had moved the extra shelf perches up by the ceiling to give the young ones more room to move around w/o crashing into them. All 3 of them were crammed together against the ceiling on one shelf.
Brodie is a scratch n pecker so there was almost as much food on the floor as bedding. We put up a cpl Royal Rooster feeders, and that took care of that issue. I won't be buying near as much feed now.
Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and now recovering from over eating.

So glad that your good birds were waiting for you in the run! How does Numi interact with the older guineas? Does she think she’s a guinea or a person?

I’ll take some pics of my crew next weekend- that will be the 3 month mark! Guinea Farm just opened up orders for next year. I’m trying to decide whether to order a dozen sky blue hatching eggs when I already have more than enough birds! I had the same concerns last year so didn’t place an order, then they had sold out by the time I made a decision. Of course, given your experience with shipped eggs, I might have very few to none actually hatch…

 

[Sydney65]

So glad that your good birds were waiting for you in the run! How does Numi interact with the older guineas? Does she think she’s a guinea or a person?

I’ll take some pics of my crew next weekend- that will be the 3 month mark! Guinea Farm just opened up orders for next year. I’m trying to decide whether to order a dozen sky blue hatching eggs when I already have more than enough birds! I had the same concerns last year so didn’t place an order, then they had sold out by the time I made a decision. Of course, given your experience with shipped eggs, I might have very few to none actually hatch…

I think she thinks I'm a guinea. I bundled her up in my jacket and sat on back porch for a few minutes today while hens were out. Rosie & Mia were quiet & cautiously curious, & I think she would have liked to go to them, but was overwhelmed by Brodie's big mouth and flopping around. Not sure she was really panting, but opening and closing mouth rapidly and then ducked into my sleeve. I don't blame her, Brodie's cackle is somewhat creepy, & you can tell now that Brodie is Mama's and Mia is not. Mia is a dainty little thing.
Numi's diaper arrived today, but she was able to step out of the extra small. Will try again next week.
I put an order in w/GF; doing live hatch, not eggs, & will be waiting with vitamins,fluids and a belly button/bottom wash.

 

[Sydney65]

We've been graced w/a few sunny days in the 60's, so I've been taking Numi outside for brief periods when I go sit w/the girls.
The first day,I had Numi bundled up. She sat on my lap for a few minutes watching the big birds before struggling to be unbundled & hopping down in the middle of them. Momma promptly pecked her on the fanny and she hopped back in my lap panting,decided she'd had enough of that and crawled inside of my jacket sleeve.
Today she rode out on my shoulder unbundled, & stayed there. She watched them and they watched her, some vocalizations took place, but she stayed put.
She spends daytime hrs in that pop up netted play area where she has room to stretch her wings and hop around. She has mirrors, a perch, and a bridge inside of it. A new xylophone is next; PJ destroyed the last one.
I got tired of buying puppy pads, but not putting bedding in that play area, so picked up a cheap bolt of fleece & made pads from it. She loves it. The 1st thing she did was start "dust bathing" on it. A perk is that I can usually take it outside,shake the poo off of it & reuse it, so less laundry (Lysol has a disinfecting prewash).
She's getting some faint dotting, has a really pretty blue around her neck. Still has a baby face but her little helmet is making an appearance. She likes to have it, her neck and chin rubbed- and yes, she still likes to curl up next to me and fall asleep, now w/her little beak resting on my jaw. She's funny- she does her thing all day while I'm dealing w/kids &what not, but around 7 pm she starts chattering, letting me know it's HER time.
I will cont to say "she", I have no idea. If I were placing bets, I'd wager "she" ends up being a "he"- and I base that solely on my opinion that male animals tend to be calmer & more affectionate than females.
In any event, she is thriving, growing, and has become part of the family.