My white guinea hen has been missing for a couple weeks, and I thought something must have killed her. When I got home from work yesterday she was standing in the yard with about 20 fluff balls bouncing around her. They looked to be brand new - not more than a day old.
We have four very large typical black guineas, one grey guinea, and one white guinea. Apparently they created one mixed up looking flock of chicks! The grey chicks are just beautiful!
Mama leading the chicks through my garden!
hmstyl, you're making me want chickens. I very well could get killed if I bring home another critter. He's calling me "Ellie Mae" as it is.
I can hardly wait till my chicks get big enough to start 'mixing'. I've gotten chicks from my silkies, but new what they would look like. Now I'll have to wait for my others to grow up and see what they 'throw out'.
Oh hmstyl, I just love it ! I would love to have Guineas! My last brood took off after a run in with neighbor dogs( problem taken care of) the only one I had to stay was adopted by a Barred Rock Mama( not Hard Rocks Mama) . They were just the cutest couple . When you saw one you saw the other! I had to go to town one day and when I came home I found the result of the dog raid and my little Guinea and her Mama and three others had dissappeared! All we found were feathers!
Now it has been almost a year, I have my little bantams but would like to soon try the Guineas again! I think I have a line on some young ones ,but Ive heard that they will run away if they are too old! So Im hoping if I confine them in a small area for a whilethey want take to the woods1
Eufaula, if you don't get some somewhere else, you can have a few of mine after they grow for a few weeks. When I first got my baby guineas a few years ago, I put them all in a chicken coop together for a few weeks. Then I would let a couple of them out each day and leave the rest in the coop. They won't go very far without their buddies, so they would stay close to the coop. Then I would let them out all except one for a few days, they still won't go far without their buddy. They would come back every night before it got dark and I would let them all back in. Then I started tossing a little chicken scratch just outside the coop door every day when I let them all out, so they would get to know where to find their food every day. They would all come back when it got dark, and if I didn't let them in the coop they would roost on top of the coop or up in a tree beside the coop for the night. It's been three years and they still show up for breakfast at the coop door every morning. Then they go about their business of wandering and eating bugs all day, and they all return to the coop at night (unless they are sitting on a nest somewhere in the tall weeds!)
Oh hmstyl, I would love to take you up on that! Just let me know when and where!! DM me and I will do my best to find you!!
My central point to where Im going in your neck of the woods is the Ingles store! When I go camping that is usually my first stop.
Thanks again girl. now I am excited, I just love those little critters! Your instructions on keeping them at home is great! Im going to try that out!
Do you still have that black astralorpe hen? They really are good egg layers. Maybe we can work out a trade?
Yep thats her on the left, and we sure can!
I also have ten keets, as of yesterday.. Aren't they sweet? I will post a pic tomorrow...Mine are also mixed..
Larkie
Something happened at home on Friday while I was at work. When I last saw the mama guinea she has 20 babies following her. When I got home from work she had five babies!! It is so frustrating to have to go to work every day and not know what is happening at home while I am gone.
Oh hmstyl, Bless your heart! Im so sorry about your babies! We were just talking on the Wildlife forum about losing babies to Snakes here lately. You probably have one too!
Where is Mama nesting her babies? Can you catch her and put her some where thats Snake proof?
If I don't catch and pen mine, chicks or keets.. There won't be any left..
Larkie
Not really, the main coop has my 8 big egg-laying hens in it and the nursery coop has 22 buff orpington babies in it! I was thinking when she had so many that I should take about 10 of them inside and care for them just to be sure nothing happened to them. I should have done that. Now that there are only five babies left, I may try to take 2 if they get separated from mama and keep them in the house until they are a little bigger and stronger. I'll have to be very careful because if mama sees me pick up her babies she may flog me!!!
Hmstyl, wait till night! She cant see to well then and if you have a flash light you can "blind" her,till you get the babies! I usually just put a plastic bucket over Mama's head and hold it there till I get the babies! You will probably need a couple of extra hands!
hmmmm.....I don't think I can do that at night. Her nest is in the brambles with kudzu and poison ivy and I am soooooooo alergic to poison ivy. I was hoping a couple chicks might get separated from her long enough to pick them up but she was very attentive last evening. Plus, I felt really bad trying to take her babies. My animals trust me, I feed them every day and I protect them. I felt like I was betraying their trust or something.
Hey Sweetie I understand! You have to think on this though, Are you going to let the snakes get the rest or are you going to collect the babies and put them in a safe place that Mama can find and go to them? If nothing else, get a round of carpenter Wire and place it around Mama and family,then cover them with a piece of board or something like it to protect them till the little ones grow!
Put on some High waders or tuck your jeans in your shoes to protect from PO and Briars!
I think it was probably a hawk that got the babies. Mama is being very protective of the last five chicks and although she trusts me she is keeping them away from me now. Last night as I was watering the veggie garden I kept thinking I heard the babies peeping, but it was after she had taken them to bed at dusk. As I back tracked through the garden with the hose running she popped her head up in a squash plant and I realized that she was nesting with the babies under the giant squash leaves! It was awesome! I think maybe she is spending more time with them in the garden because of the drought and she knows she can find water here for her babies. Apparently they are drinking the water that pools up in the large leaves.
Ahwwwwwwww! She knows what to do!!!!!!
