We have babies!

[My2butterflies]

Congrats on the keets!
I hope Hamlet will calm down with the pecking:/
I have yet to have any girls sit and hatch eggs. You are lucky!

 

[Sydney65]

Thanks for all of the thought you put into this, Sydney! I’m going to bed but will ponder tomorrow…

Hamlet is young (1 yr) and was hatched by Welch last year. I had another cock that was one year old that was much better with the keets though (he ignored them), my first year breeding them.

These are not their keets, but I just can’t believe they know or care. Welch was mostly sitting on another hen’s eggs anyway, and after they hatched I could see that probably three hens had contributed to their nest, which is typical of my community nests. When I replaced the eggs, Welch seemed perfectly happy to sit on the new eggs and Hamlet had, at that point, taken up with another hen! Plus, last year, Welch’s keets, Hamlet included, were also not her own (more swapped eggs).

I wasn’t there so I can’t swear that it was even Hamlet that killed/injured the keets. However, all signs point to him. He still seems pretty stabby with whatever keets are under foot. Have you seen a parrot that is thinking about biting you? Their eyes kind of whirl and dilate as they focus intently on you. Today, that’s what Hamlet reminded me of. He would focus on a keet underfoot and become very intent and focused; I could tell he was about to peck it and saw him peck several keets (semi-rough). So I’d make noise or distract him while I was trying to separate them. It’s like he’d “wake up” and lose his focus on the keet to pay attention to me. Then he’d look like his usual, slightly spacey self and look around the coop for a moment. Then he’d see a keet underfoot again, and once again get that focused deadly look. It was weird and unnerving. Hamlet has been one of my favorite birds for awhile, so I’m pretty disappointed in him (anthropomorphizing, I know!)

Typed words by a stranger can come off defensive or argumentive when that isn't the intent, so I want to clarify that isn't the case here. I do share amusing stories that humanize them at times, just bc they make me laugh. I know that can leave a reader wondering when I'm being serious, or if I'm just a crazy bird lady.
Being disappointed or upset w/ someone when something bad happens is natural. That it's their nature to do those things doesn't negate our nature to want to mitigate it.
Unfortunately anecdotal evidence is abt all we have when it comes to guineas.
I don't think it's bc he knew they weren't his, bc I can think of no way he cld know. You can - and they have - put a newborn in a parent's arms the first time, & they won't know if it's the wrong one. But that logic puts Rosie's reaction to the twins into question.
As it sounds like everyone was fair game, not specific ones, that takes out the idea of a weaker bird.
Even though mine were 3 yrs old, it was their 1st hatch. Obviously they did much better than goons are given credit for. I was surprised when PJ did exactly as you suggested,helping her keep them warm. I didn't analyze the behavior of those 2; if you were to go back to the early days, Nug was smaller than the rest, & the jumbos seemed to shield him from the others, make sure he got to eat,be on the perch, etc. even though they were only a cpl of wks older. R2elk had told me that was common at 1st but only for so long.
Sure enough Nug turned into a brat & everyone's patience wore thin & he started getting pecked. Not repeatedly, just warnings. They were in the coop by then.
It was Nugget who surprised me. I was so focused on getting them to a warm dry place that I didn't think to block them away from the others, everyone just got tossed in the coop. The only thing I didn't see him do was get down in the bedding w/the other two to let them climb under him. Perhaps that was his red line.
I tended to think,given his behaviors beforehand, that his protection toward the keets was due to the grief we've all agreed they feel. I didn't recognize any reaction from him when Blu and Mouse died -she was his original mate. But when Bella disappeared he searched and moped-and stared at Rosie in her nest. She got used to it after awhile, but he was persistant abt it.
He always kept a distance from the others, but went back to staying near me as he did when he was younger. But when I played the videos & he heard Blu and Bella- Once the keets came, he was in the thick of it, no longer keeping his distance.
I think a younger Nugget who hadn't had those experiences probably wld have reacted very differently to keets. He was the one who wld chase Bella & Mouse out of the coop & even stand infront of the door to block them from coming in. Blue slept in the run w/them bc of it. It stayed that way until mating season.
-I'm not sure if that sounds like I'm humanizing them or not- and again, I'm not being defensive in regard to the idea.
Personally, I find them fascinating, & it's no secret that I can sit quietly for hours just watching them, & I would often write down things they did & their reactions to their environment. No one is more amazed than me by the way those 6 interacted w/me-Lord knows none of the ones I've hatched were that way, nor Rosie's. They all seem to think I'm devil's spawn determined to destroy them.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Keets are now 9 days old. I just sold the last of the brooder keets, and that includes the pied or pinto royal purple keet that was injured by Hamlet. I was happy to see this keet doing much better and was lucky to find a buyer willing to take him with a hobble on for his still slightly splayed legs. Sadly though, he seems to be one of only two pied or pinto RP keets from my fancy eggs. The keet that died mid-zip in the egg looked like a very splashy pinto. The keet that Hamlet killed also seemed pinto. So I think my tally of keets I have left are four Violet/Pastel, two white, and four royal purple, with one being pied or pinto. I didn’t really want to add more solid royal purple to the flock, so I should have kept the RP eggs in the incubator and tried to add any pinto keets after hatching. I think that would work right after mom has hatched the keets, because she seems so frazzled and keyed in to any keets that peep. I would be surprised if she really recognizes individual keets even now…

Integration-wise, I’ve opened the door but let adults stay in the coop with Welch for the last two days. Welch’s daughter (Scout Orange) from last year seems interested in the keets, and her mate (also Welch’s from last year) hangs out and seems fine with the keets. Actually, all of the chicks seem ok with the keets except Hamlet! He doesn’t seem to single the keets out to attack at this point, but when he notices them around his feet, he still pecks them. So frustrating! Snapped a few pics inside the coop as Welch acted like I was about to attack her babies… sigh, and a few outside the coop with the flock looking in. Hamlet still spends a lot of time near Welch, but also time out with the flock. Oh, and a second hen has mysteriously disappeared. I don’t know if she’s on a hidden nest or was snatched. No feather piles and no upset mate, so hoping she’s on a nest. However, I don’t hear a nesting call and didn’t see her this morning…

 

[Sydney65]

Keets are now 9 days old. I just sold the last of the brooder keets, and that includes the pied or pinto royal purple keet that was injured by Hamlet. I was happy to see this keet doing much better and was lucky to find a buyer willing to take him with a hobble on for his still slightly splayed legs. Sadly though, he seems to be one of only two pied or pinto RP keets from my fancy eggs. The keet that died mid-zip in the egg looked like a very splashy pinto. The keet that Hamlet killed also seemed pinto. So I think my tally of keets I have left are four Violet/Pastel, two white, and four royal purple, with one being pied or pinto. I didn’t really want to add more solid royal purple to the flock, so I should have kept the RP eggs in the incubator and tried to add any pinto keets after hatching. I think that would work right after mom has hatched the keets, because she seems so frazzled and keyed in to any keets that peep. I would be surprised if she really recognizes individual keets even now…

Integration-wise, I’ve opened the door but let adults stay in the coop with Welch for the last two days. Welch’s daughter (Scout Orange) from last year seems interested in the keets, and her mate (also Welch’s from last year) hangs out and seems fine with the keets. Actually, all of the chicks seem ok with the keets except Hamlet! He doesn’t seem to single the keets out to attack at this point, but when he notices them around his feet, he still pecks them. So frustrating! Snapped a few pics inside the coop as Welch acted like I was about to attack her babies… sigh, and a few outside the coop with the flock looking in. Hamlet still spends a lot of time near Welch, but also time out with the flock. Oh, and a second hen has mysteriously disappeared. I don’t know if she’s on a hidden nest or was snatched. No feather piles and no upset mate, so hoping she’s on a nest. However, I don’t hear a nesting call and didn’t see her this morning…

Sigh..if only we were closer! Congrats on the quick sales. Haven't put this brood up yet...getting close, but then she'd be alone.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Sigh..if only we were closer! Congrats on the quick sales. Haven't put this brood up yet...getting close, but then she'd be alone.

You’re going to sell some or all of Rosie’s brood? I wish you were closer too! We are getting a mix of colors when I hatch our own eggs: mostly royal purple, Pearl grey, and Pearl grey pied, with a few lavender. Maybe I could send you some eggs next year, if I have any birds left…

Sad news about my missing hen (Mud Pie) - I found a huge pile of feathers just 20 feet from where her sister, Scout Orange, and Muddy had been nesting. None had gone broody on it so far, and I had thought it was in a good place. From available evidence and my past experience, I strongly suspect it was yet another bobcat kill. I am so very sick of bobcats. From the feather pattern, I suspect the hen was taken 50 feet away, close to our house, near where I saw Scout Purple taken last year. But… I still have only a partially complete run and can’t lock them up this year. Instead, hubby did me the “marking” honors, plus I walked around with my Doberman after dark, very scared she would step on a copperhead! Will take the boy dog out for more scent marking at dawn.

I didn’t hear Muddy’s mate calling for her, but Scout Orange insisted on going broody on the nest, less than 20 feet from the pile where her sister was eaten! Scout Orange was also calling often and very very noisy and obvious. I herded her back to the coop at dusk and destroyed the nest, as it’s clearly in a really bad place now. I feel like poor Scout Orange was desperately trying to hatch Muddy’s eggs, now that she’s gone. I am also so over guinea nests - I wish they would quit for the year already!!! It’s so sad - I’ve now lost three birds from last year’s babies: Macbeth, Scout Lemon, and now Mud Pie. I really like Muddy’s personality, even though she was a PITA broody. Muddy had gone broody several times this summer, so when she didn’t coop up last night, I figured she had a nest that I hadn’t yet found.

When I’d herded her off the nest at dusk, Muddy was uncharacteristically fierce, fluffing up, hissing, and cantankerously insisting that she would not leave her nest. She was so little but fierce. Most of my pictures of her were from her time as a keet and juvenile; she was a pied pearl grey. Fly free, Fierce Little Girl. She was so determined - I’m sorry she never got to raise babies of her own.

 

[Sydney65]

Keets are now 9 days old. I just sold the last of the brooder keets, and that includes the pied or pinto royal purple keet that was injured by Hamlet. I was happy to see this keet doing much better and was lucky to find a buyer willing to take him with a hobble on for his still slightly splayed legs. Sadly though, he seems to be one of only two pied or pinto RP keets from my fancy eggs. The keet that died mid-zip in the egg looked like a very splashy pinto. The keet that Hamlet killed also seemed pinto. So I think my tally of keets I have left are four Violet/Pastel, two white, and four royal purple, with one being pied or pinto. I didn’t really want to add more solid royal purple to the flock, so I should have kept the RP eggs in the incubator and tried to add any pinto keets after hatching. I think that would work right after mom has hatched the keets, because she seems so frazzled and keyed in to any keets that peep. I would be surprised if she really recognizes individual keets even now…

Integration-wise, I’ve opened the door but let adults stay in the coop with Welch for the last two days. Welch’s daughter (Scout Orange) from last year seems interested in the keets, and her mate (also Welch’s from last year) hangs out and seems fine with the keets. Actually, all of the chicks seem ok with the keets except Hamlet! He doesn’t seem to single the keets out to attack at this point, but when he notices them around his feet, he still pecks them. So frustrating! Snapped a few pics inside the coop as Welch acted like I was about to attack her babies… sigh, and a few outside the coop with the flock looking in. Hamlet still spends a lot of time near Welch, but also time out with the flock. Oh, and a second hen has mysteriously disappeared. I don’t know if she’s on a hidden nest or was snatched. No feather piles and no upset mate, so hoping she’s on a nest. However, I don’t hear a nesting call and didn’t see her this morning…

You’re going to sell some or all of Rosie’s brood? I wish you were closer too! We are getting a mix of colors when I hatch our own eggs: mostly royal purple, Pearl grey, and Pearl grey pied, with a few lavender. Maybe I could send you some eggs next year, if I have any birds left…

Sad news about my missing hen (Mud Pie) - I found a huge pile of feathers just 20 feet from where her sister, Scout Orange, and Muddy had been nesting. None had gone broody on it so far, and I had thought it was in a good place. From available evidence and my past experience, I strongly suspect it was yet another bobcat kill. I am so very sick of bobcats. From the feather pattern, I suspect the hen was taken 50 feet away, close to our house, near where I saw Scout Purple taken last year. But… I still have only a partially complete run and can’t lock them up this year. Instead, hubby did me the “marking” honors, plus I walked around with my Doberman after dark, very scared she would step on a copperhead! Will take the boy dog out for more scent marking at dawn.

I didn’t hear Muddy’s mate calling for her, but Scout Orange insisted on going broody on the nest, less than 20 feet from the pile where her sister was eaten! Scout Orange was also calling often and very very noisy and obvious. I herded her back to the coop at dusk and destroyed the nest, as it’s clearly in a really bad place now. I feel like poor Scout Orange was desperately trying to hatch Muddy’s eggs, now that she’s gone. I am also so over guinea nests - I wish they would quit for the year already!!! It’s so sad - I’ve now lost three birds from last year’s babies: Macbeth, Scout Lemon, and now Mud Pie. I really like Muddy’s personality, even though she was a PITA broody. Muddy had gone broody several times this summer, so when she didn’t coop up last night, I figured she had a nest that I hadn’t yet found.

When I’d herded her off the nest at dusk, Muddy was uncharacteristically fierce, fluffing up, hissing, and cantankerously insisting that she would not leave her nest. She was so little but fierce. Most of my pictures of her were from her time as a keet and juvenile; she was a pied pearl grey. Fly free, Fierce Little Girl. She was so determined - I’m sorry she never got to raise babies of her own.

I'm so sorry. Horrible year for goons. I will probably sell some of hers, but I not all. That would be cruel.
She seems to be coming out of her funk. She atleast responds to me when I call now, even if she doesn't always come. She did come running to me the other day, & her brood flew at me. Did my heart good. I've missed that.
She's bringing the keets to the back door at the end of the day. When I bring out the snacks she side eyes me, waiting, as if to say, "it's fine if the kids eat off the ground, but I prefer mine from the hand, thank you very much." It's good to see some spunk in her again.
I'm down to 9 eggs in the incubator, but I knew I was taking a chance w/mail order from at the end of the season, so anticipated breaks clears & quitters. The existing ones are doing well. One still seems watery. Maybe it's bc the shell is so light that I'm seeing more.
-and yes, I'm glad no one is nesting right now. I'll be glad when they harvest, as I now refer to it as the killing field. Have lived here for decades & never been spooked by it. Now it sounds like a giant crashing through the stalks.

 

[Isadora]

look, guys!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I'm so sorry. Horrible year for goons. I will probably sell some of hers, but I not all. That would be cruel.
She seems to be coming out of her funk. She atleast responds to me when I call now, even if she doesn't always come. She did come running to me the other day, & her brood flew at me. Did my heart good. I've missed that.
She's bringing the keets to the back door at the end of the day. When I bring out the snacks she side eyes me, waiting, as if to say, "it's fine if the kids eat off the ground, but I prefer mine from the hand, thank you very much." It's good to see some spunk in her again.
I'm down to 9 eggs in the incubator, but I knew I was taking a chance w/mail order from at the end of the season, so anticipated breaks clears & quitters. The existing ones are doing well. One still seems watery. Maybe it's bc the shell is so light that I'm seeing more.
-and yes, I'm glad no one is nesting right now. I'll be glad when they harvest, as I now refer to it as the killing field. Have lived here for decades & never been spooked by it. Now it sounds like a giant crashing through the stalks.

Well you sure make the field sound creepy! What’s grown there and when is it harvestedz?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

View attachment 2840098look, guys!

Awww! Did you hatch these cuties?

 

[Isadora]

Awww! Did you hatch these cuties?

I did! I have been trying to get a broody chicken mom to accept them, but I don't think it's going to work. She can tell they're different from her chicks