She did it!

[fledgling]

Yes, I'm afraid the crows will be back. Stole as many chicks as I could. If she leaves any more behind far enough, I'll steal more.

BTW, all of the keets have a home now! Our vet wants them at 3-4 weeks. She has a coop to keep them in.

 

[terrilhb]

YIPPEE. Congratulations. That is awesome news.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

"Like!" Good Job!

 

[fledgling]

So I came home this afternoon to a similar scene as yesterday. However, I discovered a guinea behavior that I didn't know about. When I got home, I heard commotion again. The crows had just scattered (they are very shy of people). Penny (mama guinea) was doing her alarm call (the harsher cry) and the five male guineas were standing around trying to look useful. Again, I saw no chicks. So, I hunted around and found two hunkered down in the grass. I picked up one, which seemed a bit weak, and the other spooked and ran. It disappeared. I mean completely. I combed the area and couldn't find that keet. I finally gave up and started weeding in my garden. Mama guinea continued her alarm call for ten more minutes. Then, she changed to her 'buckwheat' call. I heard peeping in the very tall grass near where I had looked for the missing chick. Sure enough, I found him. She was bearing down on me so I placed him on the ground in front of her and backed off. I heard more peeping. So did she. She worked her way over and found two more. Then, another one stood up from his hiding place and sounded off. Soon, all four were following her. The fifth was gone and I had taken the weak one I found inside to join the house keets. Today she only lost one keet. Hopefully, she can keep the remaining four safe.

I am certain it was the crows once again. However, I am impressed that her alarm call tells the chicks to scatter and hide until she calls for them. They didn't make a sound or move until I actually touched them. When she called, they stood up, vocalized and waited for her to swing by and 'pick them up'. Very impressive.


BTW, I know it's frustrating for some of you to read about this and you wonder why I don't just take them all. It's because she is vicious!

 

[cracking up]

That's really interesting. I think most of us with free range guineas have been in your situation. The keets look so much happier and healthier with mom. I even felt sorry for the mom when I took away her keets. She seems so dejected and sad. I've tried leaving them and watched them get picked off by my male guineas, I just couldn't keep them safe with her. I think it's good that you have some respect for her and her keets. I also love that you are so observant. I've followed mine for hours just because I couldn't stand to go in the house and come out to fewer keets. It's fun that you decoded her calls.

 

[fledgling]

Well, the babies are all set up in the big brooder on our back porch (it's hot enough here and they have more room out there). Mama guinea is on the back porch talking to them.

I wish I could tell her that they are safe even though she can't have them back.

Good news! She still has the 4! Good mama guinea!!

 

[Keeter]

My wife came running up to my office window late this afternoon, big grin on her face, crying out, "Baby Guineas! We've got Baby Guineas!." Sure enough, we had been down to six free range guineas (are there any other kind?), but suddenly we're back up to seven, with 18 baby keets following the prodigal bird. We spent the next couple hours picking up babies like kids hunting easter eggs, and we've now successfully moved mom and the downliners (ambiguous pun intended) into a sectioned off part of our covered chicken run. I guess we, too, are about to find out how good a mom she is willing to be. Dad has been happy hanging around chasing off all his former bud's, but when evening came, it's off to spend the night at the bar with the other feathered fiends.

I wonder, has anyone ever seen a successful feral population of guineas, or do the native predators prevent that from happening?

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Check your local Craigslist for a Buff Cochin hen to sit on them.....or put them in an incubator! How exciting!

 

[Keeter]

Really? I mean, like they really do need a surrogate mother? We figured on just letting them grow up with Mom inside their partitioned chicken run, and when they were big enough to be fully feathered, we'd open the door and let them have at the world. Do you really think we need to get them with a chicken? We have a couple broody hens now.

 

[cracking up]

No - I think tarheelbaby thought they were eggs. You might as well let her try to raise them, just keep an eye on them for the first week or two. If she makes it that long they should be ok.