Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Victoria-nola]

Quote: Thank you. I did try to combine everything I had to do yesterday in one session, until I had to change the water bottle again because of the scary labels on the new jar. Part of the changes were I removed the towels and let them set down on the hay, so that probably contributed to their freakout, although they instantly loved the hay. We're in Southwest Mississippi and overnight lows are in the low-mid 70sF, daytime highs in the 90sF. So not much temperature drop. The keets definitely all sleep underneath the Mama-Heating-Pad all night.

The keets look good this morning and the water level in the jar has gone down enough that I'm not feeling so worried. Thanks everyone for your help.

I did notice the keets' poop doesn't smell bad and then read that it doesn't have ammonia like chickens do. That's a plus! Also they really do not scratch to the degree that chickens do, very interesting. I'm really enjoying them.

 

[guineapeeps]

Thank you.  I did try to combine everything I had to do yesterday in one session, until I had to change the water bottle again because of the scary labels on the new jar.  Part of the changes were I removed the towels and let them set down on the hay, so that probably contributed to their freakout, although they instantly loved the hay.  We're in Southwest Mississippi and overnight lows are in the low-mid 70sF, daytime highs in the 90sF.  So not much temperature drop. The keets definitely all sleep underneath the Mama-Heating-Pad all night. 

The keets look good this morning and the water level in the jar has gone down enough that I'm not feeling so worried. Thanks everyone for your help. 

I did notice the keets' poop doesn't smell bad and then read that it doesn't have ammonia like chickens do.  That's a plus!  Also they really do not scratch to the degree that chickens do, very interesting.  I'm really enjoying them.

I'm glad to hear that they are doing better today! I chose to get Guineas rather than chickens because they don't scratch up the garden and don't eat the vegetables or plants in the garden either. My Guineas spend a lot of time there picking bugs off the leaves and plants. Since getting them, I don't need to use any pesticides for bug control. The worse thing they have done is layed eggs in my squash, but I can't really complain much about that! When we moved here to Iowa 3 years ago, we were overrun with crickets and grasshoppers. Now we see very few. (I wish I would have had them when we lived in Tennessee!) Living in the south, I think you'll love having them for pest control.

 

[duluthralphie]

I made it to 100 Guineas last night!

But then today, early morn, one of the old ones practiced highway robbery and got smucked.



I should make 100 again today as I have about 9 more pipped externally.

 

[charid]

My posts arent being added as far as i can tell. This may be a repeat. Anyway i had tried to reply to deb, the quote isnt working. I had 2 problem babies. One with an eye deformity and the other a ripped off toe. Both were doing great and there was no reason to suspect any more problems.

Just today after work i took the top of the box off, a screen, so the smaller babies could stretch their wings. They were all running about and being nutty, practiced flying and perching. Then i realized the blind one had been trampled. His wing was slack and he wasn't putting weight on his right leg or foot. I did an inspection and cannot tell a **** thing from it. Everything looks and feels fine but he is so small and his bones are so fine I feel nothing significant to indicate a fracture. He is 1/2 the size of the other birds but was on his way and getting more active each day and now another set back. I put a small box inside so he has a place to go so as not to be trampled again. I blame myself. He was not ready for straw bedding even though his siblings were.

Im done seeing the weak struggle and then get hurt more. I am not the type to detach myself from little life forms and so its very hard for me to watch the weak struggle.

I am done keeping baby birds. I will trade the eggs for adults.

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote:
I will love them for this, for sure, tick control has been our motivation for getting them. But since we have both chickens and guineas, I am hoping that the guineas will be able to fly into the garden and do pest control but that I will be able to keep the chickens out. That is what I'm unsure about. Oh boy do we have tons of grasshoppers! Thanks for this.

 

[guineapeeps]

My posts arent being added as far as i can tell. This may be a repeat. Anyway i had tried to reply to deb, the quote isnt working. I had 2 problem babies. One with an eye deformity and the other a ripped off toe. Both were doing great and there was no reason to suspect any more problems.

Just today after work i took the top of the box off, a screen, so the smaller babies could stretch their wings. They were all running about and being nutty, practiced flying and perching. Then i realized the blind one had been trampled. His wing was slack and he wasn't putting weight on his right leg or foot. I did an inspection and cannot tell a **** thing from it. Everything looks and feels fine but he is so small and his bones are so fine I feel nothing significant to indicate a fracture. He is 1/2 the size of the other birds but was on his way and getting more active each day and now another set back. I put a small box inside so he has a place to go so as not to be trampled again. I blame myself. He was not ready for straw bedding even though his siblings were.

Im done seeing the weak struggle and then get hurt more. I am not the type to detach myself from little life forms and so its very hard for me to watch the weak struggle.

I am done keeping baby birds. I will trade the eggs for adults.

I know how you feel.....I'm the same way. I feel awful if I lose any of my Guineas, but the keets are especially bad for me to lose.....maybe cuz they are so cute and sweet at that age. This is just one more reason why I try not to incubate my own eggs and not do the whole brooder thing. I let my hens hatch their own eggs whenever possible and I find I don't get so attatched as I don't have as much direct interaction with them and they are more wild. I last incubated and hatched my own keets three years ago. I had one keet that had a splayed leg. I tried splinting it, but after a few days it died. The next day, I had a second one die (it had a matted poopy butt and when I cleaned it up with a warm rag, it had a seizure and died). I felt terrible and thought, "I'm not cut out to do this....I'm too sensitive (a big baby, really)!" Anyway, since then, I try to avoid much that would get me more attatched than I already am. If you have adults, or when you get adults, you might consider letting them hatch and raise their own, if possible. My adults do a great job and, although I do lose a few occasionally, it's a little easier to handle emotionally!
I hope the rest of your keets do ok!

 

[guineapeeps]

I will love them for this, for sure, tick control has been our motivation for getting them. But since we have both chickens and guineas, I am hoping that the guineas will be able to fly into the garden and do pest control but that I will be able to keep the chickens out.  That is what I'm unsure about.  Oh boy do we have tons of grasshoppers!  Thanks for this.

They do an awesome job with tick control. Before we got our Guineas, we had a terrible problem with ticks as well. Every time our dogs or cat went outside, they would come in with at least a few ticks each. I rarely see a tick now. I saw a few at the beginning of spring this year, but none since. About the only bug/pest that mine won't eat are cicada's.....too big and crunchy, I guess!

 

[duluthralphie]

I officially owned over 100 Guineas for about 3 hours today, I sold 20 so I am back under 100, I think I have 92 now.

But there is hope I still have a lot in the incubator and if I could find a nest!! Oh Boy!! I can keep the incubator running!

 

[guineapeeps]

I officially owned over 100 Guineas for about 3 hours today,    I sold 20 so I am back under 100, I think I have 92 now.

But there is hope I still have a lot in the incubator and if I could find a nest!! Oh Boy!!  I can keep the incubator running!

So are you officially headed off to your luxury suite complete with butlers in white coats? Or is there a certain length of time that you have to be in possession of 100 guineas to earn this prize?

 

[duluthralphie]

So are you officially headed off to your luxury suite complete with butlers in white coats? Or is there a certain length of time that you have to be in possession of 100 guineas to earn this prize?

I think you need them at midnight to get the vacay.... I did not have them at midnight......