[MadHouse]

So cute! I love when they peek out from under mama!

 

[Boer Mama]

I’m so excited to see them when they are all hatched out and starting to venture out! What are your plans for them after they’re grown? Do you sell, process, or plan on keeping hens mostly for eggs?
I just got guineas last year, supposed to be 1 make and 3 females. Have not seen any eggs or anything still 😑
I have heard their eggs are higher in protein and that they themselves are a nice dark meat.

 

[Moers kiko boars]

Awwww peek-a-boo...so cute!💖💗

 

[toth boer goats]

Aww 😊

 

[FizzyGoats]

Yay! Congrats. They are so tiny.

 

[Cedarwinds Farm]

I’m so excited to see them when they are all hatched out and starting to venture out! What are your plans for them after they’re grown? Do you sell, process, or plan on keeping hens mostly for eggs?
I just got guineas last year, supposed to be 1 make and 3 females. Have not seen any eggs or anything still 😑
I have heard their eggs are higher in protein and that they themselves are a nice dark meat.

We have guineas that free range the property and help keep the tick population under control. I know you can eat them, but we don't. I have never eaten the eggs. They are only seasonal layers, and like to hide their nests, so if your guineas are free ranging, they probably have a nest out in the brush somewhere.
I am planning to keep most of these keets to replenish our flock. We always lose quite a few to predators. I think our flock is down to about half of what it was last year. But I will sell some if we have a big enough hatch.
My current plan is to let the hens raise them. I don't know how that will go. I've never tried this before!

 

[Cedarwinds Farm]

At last count, I had 9 hatched under one hen and 2 under another. A lot more eggs still unhatched, I've heard pecking from several eggs. My speckled hen hasn't had any of her eggs hatch out yet, but I know a lot of them were pecking yesterday night when I listened to them, so I expect several of hers will hatch out today sometime.
I've got to reinforce the cage...again! I found a keet on the floor of the chicken house this morning. They are so tiny, they can squeeze out through little gaps that a chick could not get through. Luckily, the weather is good and hot, so the keet was fine and I stuck it back in the nest.

 

[FizzyGoats]

They are such pretty little things. Hopefully no more slip out of the cage now that you’ve got it all fixed up.

 

[Boer Mama]

I may have found a nest earlier… I was mowing the tall foxtail at back of my dads yard and didn’t see it in time. The eggs were smaller than chicken eggs and I was thinking Guinea hens would have larger eggs but now I think that was a mistaken thought. I had damaged too many eggs so I knew whoever’s nest it was wouldn’t return anyway 😓
Bug /tick control is why I got them… but was hoping some could hatch and increase the flock enough to perhaps try one or two. But I can’t hardly tell difference between the sexes so don’t want to end up eating the hens! 😅

 

[ksalvagno]

They are adorable!

 

[MadHouse]

The keets are beautiful! It’s going to be interesting watching them grow up, following the big hens around.

 

[MadHouse]

My chicks have not left the chicken coop to go outside. They are thorough enjoying flitting around the big coop. At night they choose to sleep near the adults. All the chickens gets chick food now, because the little ones clean up the plates.

I had to make a bigger portal to the chick coop for Chip, the Chocolate Orpington. I spent time with them trying to teach them the portal, to no avail. They just gawked at it with long necks. I gave up and did something else, and when I moved, they ran and one used the portal. 😂 I think they just played dumb for me!

 

[FizzyGoats]

They suddenly look so big! And wouldn’t that just figure with the chick portal. Hahaha. Looks like a nice one too.

 

[toth boer goats]

They grow really fast.

 

[Cedarwinds Farm]

I may have found a nest earlier… I was mowing the tall foxtail at back of my dads yard and didn’t see it in time. The eggs were smaller than chicken eggs and I was thinking Guinea hens would have larger eggs but now I think that was a mistaken thought. I had damaged too many eggs so I knew whoever’s nest it was wouldn’t return anyway 😓
Bug /tick control is why I got them… but was hoping some could hatch and increase the flock enough to perhaps try one or two. But I can’t hardly tell difference between the sexes so don’t want to end up eating the hens! 😅

Yeah, it was probably a guinea nest! The guinea eggs are smaller and more pointy than chicken eggs. I bet they will try again in another spot.
The guinea hens are smaller than the cocks, and they make a two syllable call. They sound like 'buck-wheat' (others say the call is 'pot-rock), while the cocks only can make a one syllable call. The cocks usually have a larger helmet and wattles when they're mature, too.

 

[Boer Mama]

Yeah, it was probably a guinea nest! The guinea eggs are smaller and more pointy than chicken eggs. I bet they will try again in another spot.
The guinea hens are smaller than the cocks, and they make a two syllable call. They sound like 'buck-wheat' (others say the call is 'pot-rock), while the cocks only can make a one syllable call. The cocks usually have a larger helmet and wattles when they're mature, too.

Thanks for that explanation- I’ll have to listen and look closer now!

 

[MadHouse]

Chicks are practicing the ladder and roost in the day time, while the adults are out.

Some nights they sleep up there, depending on if the adults leave one side open. The chicks refuse the “kid roost” I built (on the right, against the wall). It’s either the top roost, or the floor for them.

Most of the adult chickens are ok with them moving about.

 

[Jessica84]

Look at all these babies you all are having!!! So cute!!!
Well I got my “fancy” turkeys yesterday. I’ve been so excited. I ordered 15, they sent 16 and one was DOA. 2 died by the end of the day but the rest are super healthy. Kinda disappointed in what I got. I ordered the hatchery choice and got some bronze, those holland white ones (they need to go) penciled palms and Oregon grey. So not as fancy as I was hoping and too much white, except for the bronze which I could have ordered from any place. But I knew it was a risk at a big discount so it is what it is. Next year I’ll pay full price and get super fancy ones

 

[Boer Mama]

@Jessica84 i hope the ones that didn’t make it weren’t some of the fancier ones!

 

[Boer Mama]

I lost a baby chick today. I was out in the yard and heard distressed cheeping. Baby was in the blackberry patch next to the run I have the mamas and babies shut in to keep safe from cats. I wondered why it didn’t go back thru the gap under the board (they are so tiny right now, they can go thru the chain link and everything, but the mamas always call them back and pretty soon the won’t fit)… then I saw a bull snake coiled up in the gap with a different baby in his mouth! 😓
So I got the baby where it belongs, worked up my nerve to pick up the snake… I knew it couldn’t bite me with its mouthful… and took it away. I took the chick out just in case it was still alive but it was too late. But I slung the snake out of the yard and over by my dads shed. I probably should have released him a mile down the road… I hope he doesn’t come back for the other chicks since he didn’t actually get to eat one!