Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Starkasm]

This is actually a very good thing. Had they not been loud I would now have two dead keets. Twice now, while they are out free ranging I have had a keet slip down in a little teeny space between the greenhouse and chicken coop. The first one happened about three weeks ago. The second today. Had they not started screaming I would not have found them in time. The first time I thought I shoved the coop close enough that it wouldn't happen again. The one that happened today, I thought they were getting too big to fall down there but I was wrong. He/she had fallen into the space upside down and I went out after a nap ( i am suffering through theworst cold I have ever had) to check on them and heard one screaming the " Im all alone" cry mixed with another sound of terror. I ran around the yard in my bathrobe trying to find him and when i did i freaked. I tried to pull the board out the he was up against but he just slipped farther down. But not quite to the ground and still upside down. At this point if i were to let go of the board, he would have been crushed, I gave one more solid tug on the board and managed to get two fingers under him and slide him up and out. Scared us both badly. Called my husband at work crying. I have boarded it all up since and there is no room for a beetle to fall in there now. But i can't help but think what if?

A hawk grabbed my Barred Rock hen and was trying to drag it across my front yard recently. She's okay, in the house on the mend. But it was the guineas screaming that alerted me!

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Quote: oh thank god....its crazy but i think i worry more about my feathered kidsthan the two legged ones sometimes...I should mention that they are all over 18 now, except for one.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

it does about as much good worrying about your kids , at least thats my experience . my guineas will set the alarm off when someone toots! i have gotten up so many times and rushed out the door to see what was wrong only to find a leaf blowing i hardly pay attention anymore. i did learn though through my autistic son that they dont want me to move anything around in the yard or bring something new in and i would not have realized that if not for going through it already .

 

[Starkasm]

it does about as much good worrying about your kids , at least thats my experience . my guineas will set the alarm off when someone toots! i have gotten up so many times and rushed out the door to see what was wrong only to find a leaf blowing i hardly pay attention anymore. i did learn though through my autistic son that they dont want me to move anything around in the yard or bring something new in and i would not have realized that if not for going through it already .

Mine are pretty quiet for the most part, except when it rains - they yell at it! They don't like new things either. My sister got a new dog and they were up there yelling at it! Not extremely bright sometimes. They like to yell at strange vehicles too.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

where i live we really dont have strange cars so they improvise, like the dogs, they just have to have something to bark at.

 

[Susiederkins]

how are you all?
Starkasm? I put my teeny weenys in a new cage!
I have put my little free loaders in the big yard with the net covering them...no longer in the yurt...my babies are getting so big and noisy. They are adjusting to the much bigger yard, but I was unable to incorporate a tree for them to roost in. Maybe soon when a ladder lover comes home. How are you?

 

[Susiederkins]

 

[Susiederkins]

Mine are pretty quiet for the most part, except when it rains - they yell at it! They don't like new things either. My sister got a new dog and they were up there yelling at it! Not extremely bright sometimes. They like to yell at strange vehicles too.

Mine yell at ME!!! When I am out and they haven't had supper yet you can hear it echo throughout Alfalfa!

 

[Susiederkins]

oh thank god....its crazy but i think i worry more about my feathered kidsthan the two legged ones sometimes...I should mention that they are all over 18 now, except for one.

see Stark? This is why mine wont get out til they are drinking age!

 

[Susiederkins]

I am jealous! I am ready for more eggies! My little bacon heads have grown into the big chickens area and are no longer in the "yurt". I miss having the babies around. The bigguns are playing keep away again now though. Now that they have room. Wish the ceiling were higher...oh well...pics coming soon!

mama wants eggies