WK #3

[Sydney65]

Here's a comparison -http://old.guineas.com/colorchart/color/comparison.jpg

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Here's a comparison -http://old.guineas.com/colorchart/color/comparison.jpg

Nice pic! As a day old keet, Violet did look like the Violet (or Copper?) keets, and Slate looked like the pics of slate keets. I wish that the flock hadn’t decided to make Violet their current outcast... My two guinea flocks seem to always have an outcast member. I’ve wondered if there is a purpose to that; the outcasts seem to do a lot of watching and calling from the perimeter of the flock. They are also the ones that seem to go first into new or dangerous areas. I’ve wondered if outcasts are elected to be watchdogs and the “canary in the coal mine”. We have mostly females, and it seems our outcasts are always female, maybe because they are more expendable to the flock, or maybe because of their constant buckwheat call...

 

[R2elk]

"don't expect them to be your friend or even LIKE you. If you're lucky, they'll tolerate you."

I don't know where you got that from but those are not my words. When I post, I use words like "don't be surprised", usually and normally because there are always exceptions.

I never said that guineas could not be tamed and have even posted advice on methods that can be used to tame guineas.

I have also posted many times about the people who get guineas and post how wonderful they are right up to the first breeding season when their hormones kick in and their behavior changes. Those people usually do one of two things after that. One, they stop posting about their wonderful guineas or two they start posting questions such as "Why is my guinea attacking my chickens, etc." There have even been posts about "Why is my guinea attacking me?" The latter question usually comes from people like you who have imprinted their guineas. Imprinted guineas lose the ability to understand that there is a difference between them and the person that has imprinted them. This does not mean that all imprinted guineas will use guinea tactics on the people that imprinted them, only that it has happened and is a possibility.

 

[Sydney65]

Yikes!
No, i didn't imply that you SAID it, only that it was one thing you didn't refute. Trying to sex guineas by their waddles or scraping their beaks - those things you call out. I'll definitely reread your threads, but have tried to follow the advice laid out by you and Peeps- using the poles to "herd" them, having a routine & sticking to it. I didn't intend to sound as though these things "won't" happen with my birds, but wondering when I should expect it. When are they "adults", when are they capable of defending themselves and to what extent? Granted, I'd prefer NOT to be attacked by them; those talons are painful even when not trying to hurt you. I apologize if it seemed I was putting words in your mouth or trying to sound like a know it all. Lord knows I don't, that's why I keep coming back asking you questions. But maybe I do get too excited abt it when talking abt them. I'll tone it down.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Yikes!
No, i didn't imply that you SAID it, only that it was one thing you didn't refute. Trying to sex guineas by their waddles or scraping their beaks - those things you call out. I'll definitely reread your threads, but have tried to follow the advice laid out by you and Peeps- using the poles to "herd" them, having a routine & sticking to it. I didn't intend to sound as though these things "won't" happen with my birds, but wondering when I should expect it. When are they "adults", when are they capable of defending themselves and to what extent? Granted, I'd prefer NOT to be attacked by them; those talons are painful even when not trying to hurt you. I apologize if it seemed I was putting words in your mouth or trying to sound like a know it all. Lord knows I don't, that's why I keep coming back asking you questions. But maybe I do get too excited abt it when talking abt them. I'll tone it down.

Just wanted to let you know that I’ve enjoyed your updates about your guineas! It’s fun comparing notes on our similarly aged youngsters. I’ve been fascinated with our guineas, and I do envy how tame yours are. I’m interested to hear how your spring goes and if that tameness becomes problematic, like it can for overly familiar roosters. My lone adult guinea male, Ghost, is nowhere near as tame as yours, but he does view me as a food source, and I think as a flock protector. He will normally come running when I whistle to him, and he calls me for predators and then calms down when I appear.

When his girls were nesting last summer, Ghost did run up to me in an aggressive manner a few times. As he got very close to me, he would then slow down and start pecking the ground in a rather confused manner. I think he was prepared to chase me off, but at the last second his brain clicked back on and he remembered my helpful attributes. Very curious what yours will do in that situation! We keep roosters too, and I have some other livestock experience. For all of them, I try to keep a calm but assured manner. I don’t run or otherwise do anything to confirm that I’m something that can or should be chased.

 

[Sydney65]

I've enjoyed the discussion & comparisons as well. The reason I kept this one long thread was bc it was difficult to find information-and I definitely needed it, bc I had zero experience w/birds. I read whatever books I cld get ahold of, & they all seemed to either say the same thing or be conflicting; keep them warm, here's every disease your bird may or may not get, they will eat bugs, they will or will not tear up your plants.
That's how I ended up here.I thought keeping it together in one long thread would be the best way for someone else to see my questions & blunders & the advice I got, bc there was no question, I did get the best advice. Whether he chose or wanted to be one, I ended up with a pretty good mentor- he helped me keep them alive, & I am forever grateful for that. There's not much point in lying & saying it wasn't a gut punch 4 months later to be told I did it all wrong, or wonder why he didn't say it earlier when I've often mentioned my grandkids being here. So I'll have to think on that. My errors can't cause them or the birds harm.
Maybe by next spring they'll have turned on me. Today I soaked Blu's foot in Epsom salt, washed, dried and applied an ointment before bandaging it, and she calmly watched me do it w/o fuss. So- we'll see. Today I came home to this-

 

[Sydney65]

Agh- hit the wrong button and guess that photo is on my phone. Anyway, Happy Holidays!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I've enjoyed the discussion & comparisons as well. The reason I kept this one long thread was bc it was difficult to find information-and I definitely needed it, bc I had zero experience w/birds. I read whatever books I cld get ahold of, & they all seemed to either say the same thing or be conflicting; keep them warm, here's every disease your bird may or may not get, they will eat bugs, they will or will not tear up your plants.
That's how I ended up here.I thought keeping it together in one long thread would be the best way for someone else to see my questions & blunders & the advice I got, bc there was no question, I did get the best advice. Whether he chose or wanted to be one, I ended up with a pretty good mentor- he helped me keep them alive, & I am forever grateful for that. There's not much point in lying & saying it wasn't a gut punch 4 months later to be told I did it all wrong, or wonder why he didn't say it earlier when I've often mentioned my grandkids being here. So I'll have to think on that. My errors can't cause them or the birds harm.
Maybe by next spring they'll have turned on me. Today I soaked Blu's foot in Epsom salt, washed, dried and applied an ointment before bandaging it, and she calmly watched me do it w/o fuss. So- we'll see. Today I came home to this-

Your Blu is a lucky girl to have you! And, based on my limited experience, I doubt that your girls will attack you unless you’re directly threatening their keets. It’s the boys that I think need to respect people in order not to attack in defense of their nests. If you can get your hens laying in your coop and don’t let them go broody, then you probably won’t have much of a problem with that anyway. I have a plan for guinea nest boxes in the new coop. I want to make planters, like raised box beds, with rounded nests inside, and one tube leading in, one tube leading out. I’ve just started sketching it out and will post pictures when I get them made. The nests were a big deal for me this past year, because my guineas’ wild nests attracted tons of predators. We have enough predator issues without the added attractants!

As for mistakes, if there’s anything that BYCs has taught me, it’s that everyone makes a ton of mistakes with poultry. My own worst mistake was in buying unvaccinated chicks (chickens) from a breeder who “doesn’t vaccinate For Marek’s because she breeds for resistance”. Those chicks had Marek’s. Not only did almost all of those chicks die, but now I’ll be dealing with Marek’s in my flock for as long as I have chickens. I have a rooster sitting in my garage now, and I can’t decide whether he has Marek’s and needs to be euthanized or if he just needs some TLC from a bad mite infestation. Lots of mistakes in all of that. One of the things that I love about my guineas is their relative disease resistance; they really are tough, scrappy birds!

 

[Sydney65]

Here's the pic I couldn't find before- I had come home to find them waiting at back door. As discussed before, there were habits that we had not yet experienced, such as mine were remaining in designated areas in the back. Since then, they've discovered the front porch. I'm not sure if it's just bc they're broadening their horizons or they've figured out that they can hear us better at the front door, but-here we are.
Blu's toe - It's no longer swollen, she still hobbles on it. The nail is gone and the toe is dried up. If they have joints like ours, looking at my hand, I'd wager from the first joint below the nail bed up will probably shrivel & fall off. Not a vet by any means, but if she were human, that's what we'd expect to happen. If I hadn't seen the injury and bleeding, I'd think she had frost bite, except it's brown, not black, scabbing. Epsom salt soak sloughs off tissue, but not seeing any regeneration of tissue, there's just a dent where the nail would be. Though her gait has a limp/wobble to it, she no longer is trying to stand on one leg or avoid using it or pecking at it.

I've said I still hadn't determined Nugget's sex bc of all the chirping & twirling when all the others are very defined "Come back" or "chee"-except Bella, who sounds like "thank you." This a.m. I was able to pinpoint Nugget's sound- it's still high pitched, but the "sound" is "bar -reee-ee-ee bar-reee-ee-ee". I guess that's more than one syllable but still very different & confusing.

Your experience w/Marek's is an excellent example of the conflicting info that led me here,though I realize you were referring to your chickens. Some sources say as you have, that guineas are relatively disease resistant. Others were insistant that guineas be vaccinated for everything under the sun,though admitting this was cost prohibitive for a small flock bc you have to buy it in bulk. I don't think I ever asked flat out if ppl were vaccinating, but haven't seen it discussed & got the impression more and more that once out of keet stage they are pretty hardy.

I apologize for over-reacting to @R2elk previously. It's hard to detect tone in writing,or mb the tone was present d/t misunderstanding my previous comment. In any event, reaction passed & I began looking for info regarding imprinting & attacks.
The only situations I found were bc someone either got too close to the nest or tried to take the eggs. I have however witnessed goose attacks simply bc kids were getting off the bus & she apparently didn't want them to come home. When I had ducks, they definitely imprinted. Honestly, I never would have claimed this crew had.

The ducks were like lap dogs-literally. These guys don't mind me being near by, and will use my arms and legs as perches, but not settle into my lap for a snooze. Likewise, I enjoy sitting quietly watching them, but I'm not part of their "play".
I do note they've begun charging at each other at times with head down, wings out, diving under the wing like a head butt. The recipient then decides whether to reciprocate or get away. Or they'll take chase in a short flight, still only a few feet off of the ground.

So- I'm still somewhat perplexed of what I've done wrong or should have done differently. I was the 1st thing they saw upon arrival and the only one providing care. I tried to give them time out of the brooder when they were old enough,they could see outside of the brooder box and near a window so they could see and hear the outdoors. They had a big mirror behind the box to see themselves,and let them start wandering around outside of the coop asap. I have small stick on plastic mirrors in the coop. I'd like to put the big ones out there but concerned abt injury.

I did mispeak by referring to their nails as "talons" - I think that's reserved for larger predator birds.But watching a documentary of falconry & eagle hunters, it would seem those ppl would be frequently attacked if it's a common, unprovoked thing? I think me watching the documentary frightened my husband. It was pretty fascinating.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

View attachment 1976643

Here's the pic I couldn't find before- I had come home to find them waiting at back door. As discussed before, there were habits that we had not yet experienced, such as mine were remaining in designated areas in the back. Since then, they've discovered the front porch. I'm not sure if it's just bc they're broadening their horizons or they've figured out that they can hear us better at the front door, but-here we are.
Blu's toe - It's no longer swollen, she still hobbles on it. The nail is gone and the toe is dried up. If they have joints like ours, looking at my hand, I'd wager from the first joint below the nail bed up will probably shrivel & fall off. Not a vet by any means, but if she were human, that's what we'd expect to happen. If I hadn't seen the injury and bleeding, I'd think she had frost bite, except it's brown, not black, scabbing. Epsom salt soak sloughs off tissue, but not seeing any regeneration of tissue, there's just a dent where the nail would be. Though her gait has a limp/wobble to it, she no longer is trying to stand on one leg or avoid using it or pecking at it.

I've said I still hadn't determined Nugget's sex bc of all the chirping & twirling when all the others are very defined "Come back" or "chee"-except Bella, who sounds like "thank you." This a.m. I was able to pinpoint Nugget's sound- it's still high pitched, but the "sound" is "bar -reee-ee-ee bar-reee-ee-ee". I guess that's more than one syllable but still very different & confusing.

Your experience w/Marek's is an excellent example of the conflicting info that led me here,though I realize you were referring to your chickens. Some sources say as you have, that guineas are relatively disease resistant. Others were insistant that guineas be vaccinated for everything under the sun,though admitting this was cost prohibitive for a small flock bc you have to buy it in bulk. I don't think I ever asked flat out if ppl were vaccinating, but haven't seen it discussed & got the impression more and more that once out of keet stage they are pretty hardy.

I apologize for over-reacting to @R2elk previously. It's hard to detect tone in writing,or mb the tone was present d/t misunderstanding my previous comment. In any event, reaction passed & I began looking for info regarding imprinting & attacks.
The only situations I found were bc someone either got too close to the nest or tried to take the eggs. I have however witnessed goose attacks simply bc kids were getting off the bus & she apparently didn't want them to come home. When I had ducks, they definitely imprinted. Honestly, I never would have claimed this crew had.

The ducks were like lap dogs-literally. These guys don't mind me being near by, and will use my arms and legs as perches, but not settle into my lap for a snooze. Likewise, I enjoy sitting quietly watching them, but I'm not part of their "play".
I do note they've begun charging at each other at times with head down, wings out, diving under the wing like a head butt. The recipient then decides whether to reciprocate or get away. Or they'll take chase in a short flight, still only a few feet off of the ground.

So- I'm still somewhat perplexed of what I've done wrong or should have done differently. I was the 1st thing they saw upon arrival and the only one providing care. I tried to give them time out of the brooder when they were old enough,they could see outside of the brooder box and near a window so they could see and hear the outdoors. They had a big mirror behind the box to see themselves,and let them start wandering around outside of the coop asap. I have small stick on plastic mirrors in the coop. I'd like to put the big ones out there but concerned abt injury.

I did mispeak by referring to their nails as "talons" - I think that's reserved for larger predator birds.But watching a documentary of falconry & eagle hunters, it would seem those ppl would be frequently attacked if it's a common, unprovoked thing? I think me watching the documentary frightened my husband. It was pretty fascinating.

I think that you are an awesome guinea owner and love hearing your updates! I hope you don’t mind if I keep posting updates of my similarly aged brood here so we can compare notes... Our “Littles” (certainly not keets anymore) are doing well and exploring more territory too. They’ve decided that they like the dog yard, which is a dangerous place to be. I didn’t realize that they were in their fenced area when I let the dogs out. My Doberman and beagle ran for them, and they all flew in a panic for the trees- good guineas!!!! They touched base in the trees then all merged into one tree, but wouldn’t come down until I called the dogs in. Then, they flew back down into the the dog yard again! I’ve been training the beagle, Oreo, to chase the guineas so they will fly back over the fence. He’s great at it and looks back at me like, “is this right???”. Yes, good boy Oreo! Pic of guineas on the dog fence and Oreo balancing on my son!

As for guineas and Marek’s, I’ve also heard conflicting things. However, we have a bad strain of Marek’s that has killed many chickens, but we’ve not lost a guinea to Marek’s, even though they are co-housed now and were also brooded together.