3 week update: things have continued to mostly work, but be difficult and unsettled here. Remind me not to set eggs again in August - it’s just a little too late despite our heat. First off, I still have all 10 keets and will try for pics later today. There is such disparity in size! The runty pastel one is improved amd feathering, but probably less than 1/2 the size of the biggest keet. It no longer looks rough in the mornings, but doesn’t fly as well as it’s bigger siblings. The rest of the keets are also different sizes in between, with one white keet only a little bigger than Pastel.
We have at least three problems still:
1) we seem to have a Cooper’s hawk that is interested in the guineas. I don’t see it often and we haven’t lost another bird, but guineas are still freaked out and stay under cover often. The cover that I recently removed when I thought we had a bobcat predator…
2) Welch is trying to roost with the keets. All but two keets were able to get in the roost last night. She decided to bring them all back to the floor and brood them instead, but it was chaos and two keets chose to roost with adults. The problem with roosting keets is that it’s gotten cool (50s) at night, and keets are only 3 weeks old, plus the other adults will peck at the keets.
3) The flock hasn’t really bonded with the keets. My previous broody hatches were integrated with the flock from the beginning. Due to keeticide, these guys have been only partially integrated. Keets have spent some time with the flock in the coop, but the flock relates oddly to the keets. They kind of treat them like very subordinate adults, pecking them if they approach the feed or are in the adult’s space.
So, today’s plan is to cover the coop ends to provide some weather protection for roosting keets, and to finally let the keets out with mom for a few hours before dark. I didn’t really want to let keets out yet due to the Cooper’s hawk, but they really need to work things out with the flock if they are going to be roosting with them. I’m hoping the flock will be protective of them outside and this will shift their attitude. I’ll be out with them, but I have limited confidence in my ability to ward off the sneak Cooper’s attack. Wish me luck!
HIS idea. Lol.
