Not a lot to report. Ever since the hawk attack, Mambo has been more meek than usual, and Rotisserie has been challenging his position in the pecking order. He hasn't gained anything, but they're almost neck-and-neck for last place. YT remains top dog.
This weekend the young and old were brought together. There was some minor chasing, but no pecking that we could see. The youngsters were trying to adapt to a new perch and environment, so they're at a disadvantage. There's no blood so it looks good so far.
2004/12/19
2004/11/29
Hawk attack
Saturday was scary. More for the birds though.
The door had been open and the birds were approaching the door, but not going outside (as far as I could tell). I walked out to do something, and heard an aweful noise. I ran over to the noise and a hawk (sort unknown) flew up into a tree. Huddled in the undergrowth was Mambo, surrounded by feathers. I pulled him out, looked him over, and found he was physically fine. A moment later he was back in the coop, running around like nothing had happened. I have not determined what kind of hawk it is, even though I have a field guide. It was the same size as the guinea, so it's surprising the guinea got attacked in the first place. I doubt this will be the last time this happens.
Kiki also seems to have been injured -- she is not putting much weight on her left leg. Perhaps there was a mad scramble when the hawk attacked and she hurt herself.
Kittywhee is acting broody (as is Kiki) -- she's sitting in one of the hideouts I created for just that purpose. No eggs yet, but I bet she's getting ready.
The door had been open and the birds were approaching the door, but not going outside (as far as I could tell). I walked out to do something, and heard an aweful noise. I ran over to the noise and a hawk (sort unknown) flew up into a tree. Huddled in the undergrowth was Mambo, surrounded by feathers. I pulled him out, looked him over, and found he was physically fine. A moment later he was back in the coop, running around like nothing had happened. I have not determined what kind of hawk it is, even though I have a field guide. It was the same size as the guinea, so it's surprising the guinea got attacked in the first place. I doubt this will be the last time this happens.
Kiki also seems to have been injured -- she is not putting much weight on her left leg. Perhaps there was a mad scramble when the hawk attacked and she hurt herself.
Kittywhee is acting broody (as is Kiki) -- she's sitting in one of the hideouts I created for just that purpose. No eggs yet, but I bet she's getting ready.
2004/11/21
16/7, The Great Escape
The elders are 16 weeks (maybe it's time to move to months now?) old. The girls (Kiki and Kittywhee, as far as I can tell) should be hitting puberty about now and dropping an egg for the first time. I'm checking the coop daily. On the other hand, in anyplace but California, egg laying ends in Fall and starts up again in Spring.
The babies have begun fighting. Kerrie saw them going at it, with the elders watching on the sidelines. Hope they don't lose toenails like the others.
The last few weekends I've been opening the coop door and letting the elders leave if they like, to explore the great outdoors. They didn't seem to take to it, but today they made it beyond the coop threshold for the first time. YT takes the prize as being the first to cross over. That took a lot of encouragement, food, and toys to play with to make that happen.
We went on a bike ride in the afternoon, and I left the coop door open, thinking nothing could go wrong, because it was such an effort getting them to get as far as they did. Wrong! I went into the coop just at sunset to close things up, and found 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 young guinees making quite a lot of noise, like something was bothering them. Sure enough, Kiki, the first out of the shell, was also the first up into a nearby douglass fir. She wasn't distressed though, just making the usual buckwheat, buckwheat noise as she always does. Kerrie somehow managed to coax her down, but not into the coop. We tried to corral her into the coop, but she took off and landed in the thick of the coyote brush. I gave chase, and eventually grabbed her. She seemed oddly calm, as though nothing was wrong. Considering she's never seen anything bigger than the 10x10 space she lives in, that's a bit strange.
They are still going to be confined during the week while I'm at the office. I need to spend more time with them while they get used to the great outdoors.
The babies have begun fighting. Kerrie saw them going at it, with the elders watching on the sidelines. Hope they don't lose toenails like the others.
The last few weekends I've been opening the coop door and letting the elders leave if they like, to explore the great outdoors. They didn't seem to take to it, but today they made it beyond the coop threshold for the first time. YT takes the prize as being the first to cross over. That took a lot of encouragement, food, and toys to play with to make that happen.
We went on a bike ride in the afternoon, and I left the coop door open, thinking nothing could go wrong, because it was such an effort getting them to get as far as they did. Wrong! I went into the coop just at sunset to close things up, and found 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 young guinees making quite a lot of noise, like something was bothering them. Sure enough, Kiki, the first out of the shell, was also the first up into a nearby douglass fir. She wasn't distressed though, just making the usual buckwheat, buckwheat noise as she always does. Kerrie somehow managed to coax her down, but not into the coop. We tried to corral her into the coop, but she took off and landed in the thick of the coyote brush. I gave chase, and eventually grabbed her. She seemed oddly calm, as though nothing was wrong. Considering she's never seen anything bigger than the 10x10 space she lives in, that's a bit strange.
They are still going to be confined during the week while I'm at the office. I need to spend more time with them while they get used to the great outdoors.
2004/11/08
14/5, I'm a Farmer
It has been 14 weeks since birth for the elders, 5 weeks for the youngsters.
The "food bell" is working. I walked up to the coop tonight, but waited before ringing it. They saw me. They made a bit more noise and moved around. Then I rang the bell... they went ape-shit crazy! They crowded all around the door where I feed them and screamed at me.
Over the weekend the door to the coop was left open. They ventured about 1 foot outside the coop, but still inside the building itself. I have read from other guinea owners that it may take several more days or weeks for them to become comfortable enough to explore outside the coop.
Got some straw this weekend and put it into the coop, to give the birds something to play on and amuse themselves with. First day was predictable. Second day was like it was there all along. The straw officially makes me a farmer, as I carried it in my truck and let it all blow over the road on the way home. And now I know the difference between straw and hay.
The "food bell" is working. I walked up to the coop tonight, but waited before ringing it. They saw me. They made a bit more noise and moved around. Then I rang the bell... they went ape-shit crazy! They crowded all around the door where I feed them and screamed at me.
Over the weekend the door to the coop was left open. They ventured about 1 foot outside the coop, but still inside the building itself. I have read from other guinea owners that it may take several more days or weeks for them to become comfortable enough to explore outside the coop.
Got some straw this weekend and put it into the coop, to give the birds something to play on and amuse themselves with. First day was predictable. Second day was like it was there all along. The straw officially makes me a farmer, as I carried it in my truck and let it all blow over the road on the way home. And now I know the difference between straw and hay.
2004/11/01
Coop done, 13/4
The new adult coop is finished, thanks to Kerrie for helping out. The door is especially well-built, after our having learned how not to make a door the first time around.
The 13-week olds took to it quickly in comparison to the last time they were moved. The screamed and buck-wheated right off, instead of cowered in a corner.
The babies didn't take to well to being moved into the baby coop, as expected. They cowered in the corner just like the first batch did. Tonight, 24 hours later, the food remains untouched. I try not to worry, as this was exactly like last time too. But I can't not worry!
The bell ringing seems to be working. When I ring it they come running to the doorway to get their treats (millett). But the true test will be after I've released them, scheduled for two weeks from now. I figure they need a bit more adjusting time because of yesterday's move.
On the gender front, Kerrie pointed out we may have 3 females, not 2 as we last thought. The wattles on the males are larger; both Kiki and Kittywhee have smaller wattles than the rest, as does the third: Mambo. Mambo hasn't vocalized, at all, so we haven't been able to say for sure what he/she is.
Rotisserie (the runt) is still being chased mercilessly about the cage, especially at treat time. I give him his own handfull, so he is not left out.
I've been wondering what is up with the mostly white color that the elders are sporting. I thought I had ordered Brown, not Grey/White. I have since been told that I need to wait until they are 6 months old for the adult colors to show. Patience.
The 13-week olds took to it quickly in comparison to the last time they were moved. The screamed and buck-wheated right off, instead of cowered in a corner.
The babies didn't take to well to being moved into the baby coop, as expected. They cowered in the corner just like the first batch did. Tonight, 24 hours later, the food remains untouched. I try not to worry, as this was exactly like last time too. But I can't not worry!
The bell ringing seems to be working. When I ring it they come running to the doorway to get their treats (millett). But the true test will be after I've released them, scheduled for two weeks from now. I figure they need a bit more adjusting time because of yesterday's move.
On the gender front, Kerrie pointed out we may have 3 females, not 2 as we last thought. The wattles on the males are larger; both Kiki and Kittywhee have smaller wattles than the rest, as does the third: Mambo. Mambo hasn't vocalized, at all, so we haven't been able to say for sure what he/she is.
Rotisserie (the runt) is still being chased mercilessly about the cage, especially at treat time. I give him his own handfull, so he is not left out.
I've been wondering what is up with the mostly white color that the elders are sporting. I thought I had ordered Brown, not Grey/White. I have since been told that I need to wait until they are 6 months old for the adult colors to show. Patience.
2004/10/27
New, new digs
Another coop is going up in the storage shed. The first was just for small birds, to be close to the bigger birds as they grow. So now the bigger area is going up. Slowly. I swear I will finish this coming weekend -- I have to, because the little ones can not fit in their 18"x18" box. And they stink the house up.
The elders are undergoing changes -- their heads are taking on a distinctive blue and purple color against a chalky white. Can't wait to see them fully grown.
YT, who had lost his toenail a few weeks back, seems to be growing it back. But not without some bleeding along the way. Poor thing.
There is now a dinner bell attached to the coop! I ring it every time I feed them millett. Hopefully they'll get it and know to come home when they hear it ringing.
Kerrie and I had ate a guinea fowl over the weekend. No, not one of mine. Store bought. Delicious!
The elders are undergoing changes -- their heads are taking on a distinctive blue and purple color against a chalky white. Can't wait to see them fully grown.
YT, who had lost his toenail a few weeks back, seems to be growing it back. But not without some bleeding along the way. Poor thing.
There is now a dinner bell attached to the coop! I ring it every time I feed them millett. Hopefully they'll get it and know to come home when they hear it ringing.
Kerrie and I had ate a guinea fowl over the weekend. No, not one of mine. Store bought. Delicious!
2004/10/20
11/2 already!
At the two week mark one of the babies jumped out of the box, so now there's a screen over the top. One still has a hard time walking, and another has funny toes. I see a meal in their future.
The elders are mostly okay. 0010 had a serious toe bleed the other day, so I seperated her from the rest. She cried out a weak buck-wheat like she was being punished. It was the right thing to do though -- she had droopy eyes and looked like she was about to pass out. The others were pecking at her toe and her chest feathers were covered with blood. Yuck.
The coop expansion has been delayed, due to too much napping. There are still just two females that I know of. Kiki is buck-wheating up a storm as usual, and Rotisserie is an outcast. I give him special attention though, so he's otherwise fine.
The elders are mostly okay. 0010 had a serious toe bleed the other day, so I seperated her from the rest. She cried out a weak buck-wheat like she was being punished. It was the right thing to do though -- she had droopy eyes and looked like she was about to pass out. The others were pecking at her toe and her chest feathers were covered with blood. Yuck.
The coop expansion has been delayed, due to too much napping. There are still just two females that I know of. Kiki is buck-wheating up a storm as usual, and Rotisserie is an outcast. I give him special attention though, so he's otherwise fine.
2004/10/10
10/1
Week 10 for the elders, and week 1 for the youngin's.
The elders are fighting still -- lots of scabs on necks, and YT, the supposed king, has lost a claw on the right foot, right toe. Oddly enough, some of the other elders have damaged right toes on the right foot. I wonder if it is something in the environment that might be causing this. They are otherwise fine. There is a lot more vocalizing too -- "chi-chi-chi" from the males, and "buck-wheat, buck-wheat, buck-wheat" from the ladies. Some are not vocalizing yet so it's hard to tell what the final male/female ratio is.
The babies are a week old. Their new feathers are about 1.5 cm now. Seems they started showing growth about 3 days ago. One of the newborns has what's called spraddled legs -- they don't point quite straight forward. I've put a rubber band around them to pull them back towards each other. It'll be a permanent deformity if it's not taken care of now.
The coop is getting renovated -- a larger area is being made for the adults, and the area they are in now will become the wild game area: pheasants, chukars, what-have-you.
Thank you for the visitors today. The Alpine Learning Staff was glad to give a tour of the facilities for the adoring fans. Thanks for coming.
The elders are fighting still -- lots of scabs on necks, and YT, the supposed king, has lost a claw on the right foot, right toe. Oddly enough, some of the other elders have damaged right toes on the right foot. I wonder if it is something in the environment that might be causing this. They are otherwise fine. There is a lot more vocalizing too -- "chi-chi-chi" from the males, and "buck-wheat, buck-wheat, buck-wheat" from the ladies. Some are not vocalizing yet so it's hard to tell what the final male/female ratio is.
The babies are a week old. Their new feathers are about 1.5 cm now. Seems they started showing growth about 3 days ago. One of the newborns has what's called spraddled legs -- they don't point quite straight forward. I've put a rubber band around them to pull them back towards each other. It'll be a permanent deformity if it's not taken care of now.
The coop is getting renovated -- a larger area is being made for the adults, and the area they are in now will become the wild game area: pheasants, chukars, what-have-you.
Thank you for the visitors today. The Alpine Learning Staff was glad to give a tour of the facilities for the adoring fans. Thanks for coming.
2004/10/05
XXX Hot Chicks XXX
Well, not chicks, but keets. They are naked though.
They are doing what keets do -- sleep 10 minutes, eat/drink for 2, repeat. Funny how easy it is to spot the runt. It's slower at finding food and water, and isn't as active as the others. Already.
And without further delay...
[Title shamelessly stolen from Lissa who used that to get my attention in some recent email.]
They are doing what keets do -- sleep 10 minutes, eat/drink for 2, repeat. Funny how easy it is to spot the runt. It's slower at finding food and water, and isn't as active as the others. Already.
And without further delay...
[Title shamelessly stolen from Lissa who used that to get my attention in some recent email.]
2004/10/04
Week 9 and week 0
There's some good news and bad news. First the bad news.
The keets are continuing to establish pecking order, in a big way. One has a big scab on his neck, and two others have bloody toes. Kerrie and I saw YT bullying Rotisserie. He's definitely top dog. This is normal behaviour, so I try not to get bothered by it. They are otherwise acting normally and growing -- the helmets are showing through now, and the wattles are growing in more as well as darkening.
The good news is... out of the 10 remaining eggs from the original 22, 2 have hatched, and 4 others are pipping! They are a bit darker than the first batch, and as cute as ever, even when they are still wet.
The keets are continuing to establish pecking order, in a big way. One has a big scab on his neck, and two others have bloody toes. Kerrie and I saw YT bullying Rotisserie. He's definitely top dog. This is normal behaviour, so I try not to get bothered by it. They are otherwise acting normally and growing -- the helmets are showing through now, and the wattles are growing in more as well as darkening.
The good news is... out of the 10 remaining eggs from the original 22, 2 have hatched, and 4 others are pipping! They are a bit darker than the first batch, and as cute as ever, even when they are still wet.
2004/09/29
Nothing new really
What I once thought was just slow growing of feathers is actually a feature -- their necks will not be covered in feathers as I originally thought. Instead, their necks will be just bare skin that turns white over time. Their legs are also darkening, right on schedule. Some are growing a nice set of long, black eyelashes. And it's time again for some new leg bands, as they are growing out of the second set already.
The drama from the new perch and feeder setup is over. They are eating normally again (only took 2+ days) and have learned new tricks jumping off the feeder platform. Tonight when I brought new food in they were jumping off my shoulder and back. They're comfortable alright.
Today is/was day 22 of the new hatching eggs. I am taking them off the egg turner a day ahead of time, because last time I was too late (they hatched just two days after moving, when they really should have 3). For some reason I can't get the humidity high enough; I have already filled all of the troughs full with water. It'll have to do I suppose.
I'm looking for a bell so I can train the keets with millet (favorite food). When I ring the bell, I want that to be the "come home and have a delicious snack" sound. But I can't find a bell anywhere! Not for under $20 at least. Anybody know where I can find one, cheap?
The drama from the new perch and feeder setup is over. They are eating normally again (only took 2+ days) and have learned new tricks jumping off the feeder platform. Tonight when I brought new food in they were jumping off my shoulder and back. They're comfortable alright.
Today is/was day 22 of the new hatching eggs. I am taking them off the egg turner a day ahead of time, because last time I was too late (they hatched just two days after moving, when they really should have 3). For some reason I can't get the humidity high enough; I have already filled all of the troughs full with water. It'll have to do I suppose.
I'm looking for a bell so I can train the keets with millet (favorite food). When I ring the bell, I want that to be the "come home and have a delicious snack" sound. But I can't find a bell anywhere! Not for under $20 at least. Anybody know where I can find one, cheap?
2004/09/26
Week 7
Not a lot to report this week. No pictures at least. They seem to have slowed their growth rate, so there are no significant changes. There is a small change in the head shape though -- the helmet which grows out the top of the head seems to be coming now, and the wattles (like a comb on a chicken) are appearing as well.
Kerrie and I made a new perch today -- three levels now instead of one. They flew all over the koop as we put it in, and were panting after it was all over. They still sit at the top perch and face towards the wall as I write this, as though they are being punished. Sensitive birds they are. Also put in a box underneath the food container to catch everything they scratch out of the feeder. It's like they enjoy scratching it out more than actually eating it.
The hatching eggs are down one more to ten. One I candled last week was questionable, and so this weekend I checked it and it was bad. So out it went.
Send me comments or questions. Anybody out there?
Kerrie and I made a new perch today -- three levels now instead of one. They flew all over the koop as we put it in, and were panting after it was all over. They still sit at the top perch and face towards the wall as I write this, as though they are being punished. Sensitive birds they are. Also put in a box underneath the food container to catch everything they scratch out of the feeder. It's like they enjoy scratching it out more than actually eating it.
The hatching eggs are down one more to ten. One I candled last week was questionable, and so this weekend I checked it and it was bad. So out it went.
Send me comments or questions. Anybody out there?
2004/09/19
Sunday Late Edition
I installed a small 14" fluorescent light and timer later tonight (so I don't need to have two large shop lights on all day and night). After turning off the shop lights, the keets were, as usual, very curious and uncertain about the change in their environment -- they went quiet all of the sudden, and craned their necks towards the light to get a better look.
As we were feeding them a late snack, we were speculating which was male, which was female. Kerrie thinks she can tell by the face. I was not so sure.
Just as we were about to leave the koop, we heard the distinctive "buck-wheat, buck-wheat" call that only the female makes! I grabbed her, and found it is 0001 (as yet unnamed by her sponsor, Betsy). Not a moment later and another called out "buck-wheat"! This time it was 0010 (Kittywhee, sponsored by my neice Sarah).
The guesses for male (more "vulture-like" according to Kerrie): 0011 (Zoe, sponsor: Joan) and 0101 (Ptitsa, sponsor: Alex), and lastly, 0111 (Y.T., sponsor: Kerrie). Time will tell which will be male or female, as we hear more calls and capture them in the act.
On the new hatch front (now day 12), we candled them to determine which are not growing. Eleven looked different from the others -- either clear throughout, or with no distinct dark areas. We found 7 of those 11 with scrambled yolks; the remainder were intact but not growing -- infertile we presume. We did not accidentally mis-read any eggs (those that had a healthy embryo growing), thankfully. We also saw the tell-tale signs of spiderweb-like veins throughout one egg. Eleven eggs now remain in the incubator. There will be no more candling after this point; if any are bad, we will find out after the hatch is over. Hopefully there will be no explosions (due to rotting) if there are any bad ones. If all goes well, we'll have 11 new keets beginning hatching two weeks from today.
As we were feeding them a late snack, we were speculating which was male, which was female. Kerrie thinks she can tell by the face. I was not so sure.
Just as we were about to leave the koop, we heard the distinctive "buck-wheat, buck-wheat" call that only the female makes! I grabbed her, and found it is 0001 (as yet unnamed by her sponsor, Betsy). Not a moment later and another called out "buck-wheat"! This time it was 0010 (Kittywhee, sponsored by my neice Sarah).
The guesses for male (more "vulture-like" according to Kerrie): 0011 (Zoe, sponsor: Joan) and 0101 (Ptitsa, sponsor: Alex), and lastly, 0111 (Y.T., sponsor: Kerrie). Time will tell which will be male or female, as we hear more calls and capture them in the act.
On the new hatch front (now day 12), we candled them to determine which are not growing. Eleven looked different from the others -- either clear throughout, or with no distinct dark areas. We found 7 of those 11 with scrambled yolks; the remainder were intact but not growing -- infertile we presume. We did not accidentally mis-read any eggs (those that had a healthy embryo growing), thankfully. We also saw the tell-tale signs of spiderweb-like veins throughout one egg. Eleven eggs now remain in the incubator. There will be no more candling after this point; if any are bad, we will find out after the hatch is over. Hopefully there will be no explosions (due to rotting) if there are any bad ones. If all goes well, we'll have 11 new keets beginning hatching two weeks from today.
Week 6
Judging by how much food the keets eat, they are loving the new keet koop. Seems that the usual one scoop a day of feed (about 2 lbs) isn't enough anymore -- it's all gone the next time I feed them. And they act like they haven't eaten in forever when I hand over the food. They will jump onto me and into the feeder before I even have a chance to put it down.
I've gotten them hooked on mealworms, and have begun feeding with millet as well (supposedly their favorite food). I think they like the mealworms better, but I only just introduced millet today, so we'll see. Kerrie and I snapped about a dozen photos trying to get them in action jumping for the mealworms, but didn't get a good shot. Trust me when I say they leap two feet into the air to get this tasty morsel.
Here's their Grade A Choice food:
Feeding frenzy over the millet:
And lastly, our benchmark bird, Y.T., and a shot of his/her wing:
There is some speculation that Y.T. might be male. As we understand it, the males are more agressive with being first to eat and such. Y.T. has been the first with just about everything -- sitting on the new perch, exploring outside the old box, trying mealworms, etc. I think Y.T. gets at least half of the mealworms when I hand them out.
They are calling a bit now -- the alarm call that is. One who I didn't identify hopped up onto the perch and screamed the alarm that guinneas are famous for. No doubt the others will learn this within the next week or two. I sure hope the keet koop is far enough away from my bedroom!
I've gotten them hooked on mealworms, and have begun feeding with millet as well (supposedly their favorite food). I think they like the mealworms better, but I only just introduced millet today, so we'll see. Kerrie and I snapped about a dozen photos trying to get them in action jumping for the mealworms, but didn't get a good shot. Trust me when I say they leap two feet into the air to get this tasty morsel.
Here's their Grade A Choice food:
Feeding frenzy over the millet:
And lastly, our benchmark bird, Y.T., and a shot of his/her wing:
There is some speculation that Y.T. might be male. As we understand it, the males are more agressive with being first to eat and such. Y.T. has been the first with just about everything -- sitting on the new perch, exploring outside the old box, trying mealworms, etc. I think Y.T. gets at least half of the mealworms when I hand them out.
They are calling a bit now -- the alarm call that is. One who I didn't identify hopped up onto the perch and screamed the alarm that guinneas are famous for. No doubt the others will learn this within the next week or two. I sure hope the keet koop is far enough away from my bedroom!
2004/09/11
5 weeks old, new coop, relocation
Lots happening these last two days. First, the keets are 5 weeks old. As always, here's a picture of y.t. with his/her wing. Had to pull back a bit to get it all in.
Kerrie and I also made up a new set of leg bands, as the first set was getting too tight on the keets' legs.
Here's the whole group, standing on the edge of the indoor nursery.
And now, here is the transformation of my storage area into a keet koop.
Nothing:
Framing:
The finished product:
The move was mostly uneventful, other than some attempts to jump out of the covered box on the way to the koop. They huddled into the corner after being released. Might take them a day or two to get accustomed to the new house.
Kerrie and I also made up a new set of leg bands, as the first set was getting too tight on the keets' legs.
Here's the whole group, standing on the edge of the indoor nursery.
And now, here is the transformation of my storage area into a keet koop.
Nothing:
Framing:
The finished product:
The move was mostly uneventful, other than some attempts to jump out of the covered box on the way to the koop. They huddled into the corner after being released. Might take them a day or two to get accustomed to the new house.
2004/09/08
Stuff 'n' Junk
Just a few miscellaneous updates here...
I caught 0100 and 1000 fighting yesterday. Gone were their cute little chirps -- they were screaming at each other. Fighting on occasion is normal, or so I hear.
The coop is nearly ready; I hope it'll be fully enclosed tonight, and a door made tomorrow. I'm about a week late getting the keets out of the too-small nursery they are in now.
Yesterday marked day 0 of incubation for a new batch of eggs. Two were broken, leaving 22 Jumbo Guinea eggs to incubate. Expected hatch date will be somewhere starting October 3rd -- put it on your calendar!
I caught 0100 and 1000 fighting yesterday. Gone were their cute little chirps -- they were screaming at each other. Fighting on occasion is normal, or so I hear.
The coop is nearly ready; I hope it'll be fully enclosed tonight, and a door made tomorrow. I'm about a week late getting the keets out of the too-small nursery they are in now.
Yesterday marked day 0 of incubation for a new batch of eggs. Two were broken, leaving 22 Jumbo Guinea eggs to incubate. Expected hatch date will be somewhere starting October 3rd -- put it on your calendar!
2004/09/07
When the cat's away... (a guest blog entry by Kerrie)
I was away this Labor Day weekend, so Kerrie took over keet parenting duty. Here's her report!
--
Daddy's away for the weekend, and I'm keetsitting. Woo-hoo - I've been
looking forward to this all week! Food, water, play - no problem, right?
When I arrived, the keets were up to their usual tricks - chirping
pleasantly, and sticking their necks up as far as they could go, and even
standing on their tip-toes to see who was visiting. I'm still amazed at how
long their necks are when they want them to be. Having read the last blog
entry, I was assured that the keets know their "safe zone". Indeed, I had
seen it with my own eyes, so I removed the cover on the brooder, and sat
down for a little relaxing. There was the usual fuss over getting to the
perch, each keet cleverly calculating the maximum possible disruption to the
others while trying to find the best place to sit.
So far, so good, huh? Well, Y.T. showed a certain amount of autonomy.
He/she started poking his/her head over the side of the box - eying what was
on the other side, and even did a few high-speed runs along the ledge that
Daddy had the foresight to install on the top of their box (complete with
duct tape for traction!). Then it happened... In a moment of sheer abandon,
Y.T. took off flying! 'That's ok', I thought, and went to retrieve the
wayward bird, but in the meantime, three others followed the cue! I chased
them around a bit - they didn't run away in terror, but scooted just out of
my reach, as if playing some sort of game. Then two more came to join in
the fun, one landing on my head, and one on my shoulder. At least they are
not afraid of people! I have to add that their chirping was of the happy
kind.
What was I to do? I now had six out of eight birds roaming the house, and
the remaining two were still unconstrained. Luckily it was not as hard as I
thought. I was able to catch two birds at a time and put them back in their
box (although lots of screeching ensued). Once all were inside, I replaced
the cover. Phew! The rest of the weekend has been uneventful - the keets
sit on their perch without flying away, and it's cute to see them napping
with their heads hanging down. Somehow I think that's not too comfortable,
but they seem to like it.
Oh - I almost forgot - the weekly wing picture... This is Y.T. (the
benchmark) - it's the best I could do holding the bird with one hand and the
camera with the other. It's getting hard to capture the whole wing in one
picture!
Another thing I've noticed is that Y.T.'s markings are different than the
others (BTW, I sponsor Y.T. - that's my bird!). Y.T. has spots while the
others have distinctive stripes. This is a picture of Kittywhee for
comparison.
--
Daddy's away for the weekend, and I'm keetsitting. Woo-hoo - I've been
looking forward to this all week! Food, water, play - no problem, right?
When I arrived, the keets were up to their usual tricks - chirping
pleasantly, and sticking their necks up as far as they could go, and even
standing on their tip-toes to see who was visiting. I'm still amazed at how
long their necks are when they want them to be. Having read the last blog
entry, I was assured that the keets know their "safe zone". Indeed, I had
seen it with my own eyes, so I removed the cover on the brooder, and sat
down for a little relaxing. There was the usual fuss over getting to the
perch, each keet cleverly calculating the maximum possible disruption to the
others while trying to find the best place to sit.
So far, so good, huh? Well, Y.T. showed a certain amount of autonomy.
He/she started poking his/her head over the side of the box - eying what was
on the other side, and even did a few high-speed runs along the ledge that
Daddy had the foresight to install on the top of their box (complete with
duct tape for traction!). Then it happened... In a moment of sheer abandon,
Y.T. took off flying! 'That's ok', I thought, and went to retrieve the
wayward bird, but in the meantime, three others followed the cue! I chased
them around a bit - they didn't run away in terror, but scooted just out of
my reach, as if playing some sort of game. Then two more came to join in
the fun, one landing on my head, and one on my shoulder. At least they are
not afraid of people! I have to add that their chirping was of the happy
kind.
What was I to do? I now had six out of eight birds roaming the house, and
the remaining two were still unconstrained. Luckily it was not as hard as I
thought. I was able to catch two birds at a time and put them back in their
box (although lots of screeching ensued). Once all were inside, I replaced
the cover. Phew! The rest of the weekend has been uneventful - the keets
sit on their perch without flying away, and it's cute to see them napping
with their heads hanging down. Somehow I think that's not too comfortable,
but they seem to like it.
Oh - I almost forgot - the weekly wing picture... This is Y.T. (the
benchmark) - it's the best I could do holding the bird with one hand and the
camera with the other. It's getting hard to capture the whole wing in one
picture!
Another thing I've noticed is that Y.T.'s markings are different than the
others (BTW, I sponsor Y.T. - that's my bird!). Y.T. has spots while the
others have distinctive stripes. This is a picture of Kittywhee for
comparison.
2004/08/30
Time to move to the outdoor nursery
Over the weekend my able and willing assistant Kerrie and I worked on the nursery which is located outdoors, in the wood/storage shed. The storage portion is turning into the Guinea Coop, with a seperate area for the youngsters. I'll post before/during/after pictures when it's done.
For now, so they don't feel so cramped, I'm taking the top off the box nursery (when I'm home) so they can fly up to the edge or onto the wood perch I've put across the top (the same perch they freaked over just a week or so ago). They like it so much they can even get a few naps in.
It takes a while for them to all get on that perch though. For some reason one always wants to be the meat in the sandwich, which inevitably causes two or three others to get knocked down in the process. Good thing they don't have far to fall!
I've been training them so they know where their "safe zone" is -- the rim of the box is fine, the perch is fine, inside the box is fine. Anything else and they get admonished, grabbed, and put back inside. I think they are getting it -- they don't seem to have a desire to go exploring as long as I'm leaving them alone.
For now, so they don't feel so cramped, I'm taking the top off the box nursery (when I'm home) so they can fly up to the edge or onto the wood perch I've put across the top (the same perch they freaked over just a week or so ago). They like it so much they can even get a few naps in.
It takes a while for them to all get on that perch though. For some reason one always wants to be the meat in the sandwich, which inevitably causes two or three others to get knocked down in the process. Good thing they don't have far to fall!
I've been training them so they know where their "safe zone" is -- the rim of the box is fine, the perch is fine, inside the box is fine. Anything else and they get admonished, grabbed, and put back inside. I think they are getting it -- they don't seem to have a desire to go exploring as long as I'm leaving them alone.
2004/08/27
Week 3
Don't blink... they're changing before your (and my) eyes! Same bird as before (0111 -- Y.T), at week 3:
And here's 0010 (Kittywhee). Her colors are coming in better than the others':
They'll have to get their full plumage before we really know what they'll look like. Underneath the feathers is something new and interesting: the skin is turning purple!
And here's 0010 (Kittywhee). Her colors are coming in better than the others':
They'll have to get their full plumage before we really know what they'll look like. Underneath the feathers is something new and interesting: the skin is turning purple!
2004/08/26
What has happened to my babies?!
They are growing up, that's what has happened!
It's hard to believe that nearly 3 weeks ago these were in eggs no bigger than about 2/3 the size of an AA Jumbo Chicken egg.
Their feathers are covering nearly their entire bodies now -- all but the neck and head -- and they are getting a greyish-brown striped coloring. Their beaks are longer and more pointed too.
The other day I was playing with 0111 ("y.t.") in the middle of the room, and she hopped into the air and flew back into the coop... an 8 foot flight about 3 feet off the ground. Wasn't it less than a week ago that they were just barely jumping up to the top of the coop wall?!
They sleep differently too... while the do cuddle up still, they now tuck their heads back upon themselves into their back. Not all do this, but it's a recent change in behaviour.
Looks like they are learning to tell each other who's boss (establishing pecking order). I just saw 1000 ("Rotisserie") get pecked out of his/her favorite corner by a roommate.
The thermometer I had taped up against the wall has finally been beaten into submission -- the wire holding it on was bent and the glass tubing was off in the corner in the coop. Seems they peck at anything red.
It's hard to believe that nearly 3 weeks ago these were in eggs no bigger than about 2/3 the size of an AA Jumbo Chicken egg.
Their feathers are covering nearly their entire bodies now -- all but the neck and head -- and they are getting a greyish-brown striped coloring. Their beaks are longer and more pointed too.
The other day I was playing with 0111 ("y.t.") in the middle of the room, and she hopped into the air and flew back into the coop... an 8 foot flight about 3 feet off the ground. Wasn't it less than a week ago that they were just barely jumping up to the top of the coop wall?!
They sleep differently too... while the do cuddle up still, they now tuck their heads back upon themselves into their back. Not all do this, but it's a recent change in behaviour.
Looks like they are learning to tell each other who's boss (establishing pecking order). I just saw 1000 ("Rotisserie") get pecked out of his/her favorite corner by a roommate.
The thermometer I had taped up against the wall has finally been beaten into submission -- the wire holding it on was bent and the glass tubing was off in the corner in the coop. Seems they peck at anything red.
2004/08/23
Lockdown
Over the weekend the keets flew up to the top edge of the box and perched for a moment before going back inside. It's a 24" high jump/flight. Their reward is not a gold medal, but chicken wire over the top.
The feathers are coming in all over their body now. The order they appear is something like: wings, tail, back, and shoulder. Their heads and necks are still baby-like.
Yesterday I thought I'd give them a nice natural perch on which to stand, because the teddy bear is just too crowded now. Their reaction was something like bloody murder, or as though they were about to be put on the butcher block. They flew into walls, into the water container, into each other. There was dust, food, and feathers flying all over the place. And the noise, Oy Vey! After the initial scattering, they piled into the corner farthest from the wood, and I mean piled: they were jumping all over each other trying to get as far away and hidden as possible from this big, mean, bad stick.
So I pulled the stick out... and got a much, much smaller one. Oddly enough, same reaction! But not quite as much bumping and flying and so on. Just the piling into the corner. My friend Kerrie and I pulled two out, thinking that would help calm the near panic state. Those two in our hands didn't calm down much, but the main group did get a bit better -- they stopped piling onto each other, but sat in a corner where the stick couldn't see them. We put the two others back in, and that situation didn't change for around an hour. Slowly they went back to their usual routine, but sheesh, because of a stick?!
The feathers are coming in all over their body now. The order they appear is something like: wings, tail, back, and shoulder. Their heads and necks are still baby-like.
Yesterday I thought I'd give them a nice natural perch on which to stand, because the teddy bear is just too crowded now. Their reaction was something like bloody murder, or as though they were about to be put on the butcher block. They flew into walls, into the water container, into each other. There was dust, food, and feathers flying all over the place. And the noise, Oy Vey! After the initial scattering, they piled into the corner farthest from the wood, and I mean piled: they were jumping all over each other trying to get as far away and hidden as possible from this big, mean, bad stick.
So I pulled the stick out... and got a much, much smaller one. Oddly enough, same reaction! But not quite as much bumping and flying and so on. Just the piling into the corner. My friend Kerrie and I pulled two out, thinking that would help calm the near panic state. Those two in our hands didn't calm down much, but the main group did get a bit better -- they stopped piling onto each other, but sat in a corner where the stick couldn't see them. We put the two others back in, and that situation didn't change for around an hour. Slowly they went back to their usual routine, but sheesh, because of a stick?!
2004/08/19
Statistics
I did the egg postmortem tonight. Never again. Those eggs were pretty ripe. The local racoon clan will love them though.
As you know, we had 9 out of 36 hatch. Of those 27 that did not hatch, 12 had partially formed keets. That leaves 15 infertile. Something is not right here; there should've been only about 4 infertile eggs (90% expected hatch rate).
Here's a demonstration of the keet's growth rate. In this first picture you see a wing with about 1/2" of feather growth. It was taken exactly one week ago:
Today is the same bird, but with feathers about 3" long:
For the metrically inclined, that's about 1 cm. feather growth per day. I am not giving them steroids, I swear.
The fingernail polish I had been using keeps rubbing off, so I'm now using zip ties with the binary encoding painted on. Here's 0101 (Ptitsa):
As you know, we had 9 out of 36 hatch. Of those 27 that did not hatch, 12 had partially formed keets. That leaves 15 infertile. Something is not right here; there should've been only about 4 infertile eggs (90% expected hatch rate).
Here's a demonstration of the keet's growth rate. In this first picture you see a wing with about 1/2" of feather growth. It was taken exactly one week ago:
Today is the same bird, but with feathers about 3" long:
For the metrically inclined, that's about 1 cm. feather growth per day. I am not giving them steroids, I swear.
The fingernail polish I had been using keeps rubbing off, so I'm now using zip ties with the binary encoding painted on. Here's 0101 (Ptitsa):
2004/08/17
They're plotting their escape
I woke up late last night to a lot of chirping and other strange noises so I had to see what was bugging them.
I found 0101 in the corner, with all his buddies piled around, jumping straight up the wall, as high as 16". The chirping was from the others when it would come down on top of them. But they seemed more interested in what 0101 was doing than being landed on, so it made for an odd scene.
It was quite determined. I tried breaking them up, but they were all piling in the corner, even when I pushed them away. Normally when "The Hand" appears they scatter. Hmm. At least it made it easy to catch them.
As you recall earlier, three days ago they had just learned to jump to the top of the teddy bear, about 12". In just 3 days they've added 6" to their height. Perhaps they are all excited about the Olympics.
I found 0101 in the corner, with all his buddies piled around, jumping straight up the wall, as high as 16". The chirping was from the others when it would come down on top of them. But they seemed more interested in what 0101 was doing than being landed on, so it made for an odd scene.
It was quite determined. I tried breaking them up, but they were all piling in the corner, even when I pushed them away. Normally when "The Hand" appears they scatter. Hmm. At least it made it easy to catch them.
As you recall earlier, three days ago they had just learned to jump to the top of the teddy bear, about 12". In just 3 days they've added 6" to their height. Perhaps they are all excited about the Olympics.
2004/08/15
New digs
I built a new keet kondo yesterday, and not a day too soon. The keets have learned to jump to the top of the teddy bear's head. The old box was only 4" above the head, so the keets would surely have escaped. Here's the new house, with the old house inside for comparison purposes:
Dozing on the favorite spot:
Dozing on the favorite spot:
2004/08/14
Changing so fast
Yesterday they were leaping into the air and flapping what would barely be called wings. I took a picture of a wing, with its new growth, and just one day later the picture is obsolete. The feathers are growing in so fast it's amazing.
Numbers 0001 and 0100 (still unnamed by the sponsors!) have become lords of their domain by perching on the teddy bear's arm; the rest look up at them in awe... then peck them until they come down. My friend Kerrie and I are betting that they'll learn to escape the nursery sometime this coming Sunday. That is, unless I build a new nursery.
Each day something in their behaviour changes. I'm noticing now that they sleep for longer periods (up to 10 minutes instead of 2 minute) and conversely stay awake for longer periods.
They are as messy as ever. I filled the feeder tonight and it was mostly emptied onto the nursery floor in only 4 hours. A few scratch it out of the feeder, one or two scratch it from the floor to the rest of the nursery, and the others peck at the bits that land in front of them.
There are no more spiders in the house, nor on my deck, nor in the front yard. I've been a good parent.
One remains unclaimed -- 0110. S/he is one of the more vocal and larger keets. It's particularly resistant to being held. Someone adopt it and give it a name!
Numbers 0001 and 0100 (still unnamed by the sponsors!) have become lords of their domain by perching on the teddy bear's arm; the rest look up at them in awe... then peck them until they come down. My friend Kerrie and I are betting that they'll learn to escape the nursery sometime this coming Sunday. That is, unless I build a new nursery.
Each day something in their behaviour changes. I'm noticing now that they sleep for longer periods (up to 10 minutes instead of 2 minute) and conversely stay awake for longer periods.
They are as messy as ever. I filled the feeder tonight and it was mostly emptied onto the nursery floor in only 4 hours. A few scratch it out of the feeder, one or two scratch it from the floor to the rest of the nursery, and the others peck at the bits that land in front of them.
There are no more spiders in the house, nor on my deck, nor in the front yard. I've been a good parent.
One remains unclaimed -- 0110. S/he is one of the more vocal and larger keets. It's particularly resistant to being held. Someone adopt it and give it a name!
2004/08/12
They can fly... a bit
The new trick of the day is similar to the day before: to run quickly across the nursery, but with an added twist -- a jump into the air, with a bit of wing flapping. On top of that, or rather, on the tip of that, are feathers growing in on their wings!
I might have to take the teddy bear out temporarily -- I caught one jumping up to the second floor (the arm), which is within easy hopping distance to the wilds of the living room.
They have become more wild too, as I'm not able to handle them as much as over the weekend. Seems like there's a sort of group panic -- when one runs, they all run, even though there is no threat.
Daytime handlers needed! Contact me if interested.
I might have to take the teddy bear out temporarily -- I caught one jumping up to the second floor (the arm), which is within easy hopping distance to the wilds of the living room.
They have become more wild too, as I'm not able to handle them as much as over the weekend. Seems like there's a sort of group panic -- when one runs, they all run, even though there is no threat.
Daytime handlers needed! Contact me if interested.
2004/08/10
Pictures!
You're looking at a Hovabator incubator with optional egg turner. It maintains the temp at 99.5 degrees and circulates air with a fan. It's completely hands-off, other than filling it with water to maintain the correct humidity.
Here is 0001 after just hatching:
0001 and 0010 in the nursery:
The whole pack:
Obligatory "Awwww, cute" picture:
The keet on the right, draped over the teddy bear's leg, is actually sleeping. They fight over this spot, I swear.
Keet's-eye view of the nursery.
This morning I filled the feed bottle; this evening I found nearly the entire contents spread out on the floor of the nursery. Looks like they've discovered how to play with their food. I'll have to teach them some table manners.
Here is 0001 after just hatching:
0001 and 0010 in the nursery:
The whole pack:
Obligatory "Awwww, cute" picture:
The keet on the right, draped over the teddy bear's leg, is actually sleeping. They fight over this spot, I swear.
Keet's-eye view of the nursery.
This morning I filled the feed bottle; this evening I found nearly the entire contents spread out on the floor of the nursery. Looks like they've discovered how to play with their food. I'll have to teach them some table manners.
2004/08/09
Another day, another trick
Today was the first day the keets were unsupervised all day. They still have all their toes and fur, so now I can be away without worry.
Speaking of toes, in order to be able to name them, they have been marked with fingernail paint. They are referred to in binary, e.g., "0100 sure is unhappy about being handled". The LSB is on the right toe, right foot. There are three toes per foot, and a parity toe (which I'm not using it at the moment).
Keets 0001 and 0111 have been claimed for naming already. Let me know if you want to name one too -- first come, first served.
They've gotten better with finding the food -- I am no longer scratching food out of the feeder for them. Looks like it works better that way anyway, as they can get big mouthfulls at a time instead of just one little bit at a time from the floor of the box. I can tell when they're eating too -- they make lots of noise, like there's a party going on.
The new game of the day is to run from one end of the box to the other, then spin around and see who's looking. They are also pecking at a ribbon around a teddy bear that's keeping them company. I'll probably need to remove it so they don't succeed at taking bits off (and choke).
Speaking of choking, 1001 was put down because it was malformed. It had a very difficult hatch, and couldn't stand very long. And when it fell, it would spin in a circle trying to get up. It's sad to have to "take care of business". This is part of farm life I guess.
Tomorrow I'll do the egg postmortum, and put some pictures up for your viewing pleasure.
Speaking of toes, in order to be able to name them, they have been marked with fingernail paint. They are referred to in binary, e.g., "0100 sure is unhappy about being handled". The LSB is on the right toe, right foot. There are three toes per foot, and a parity toe (which I'm not using it at the moment).
Keets 0001 and 0111 have been claimed for naming already. Let me know if you want to name one too -- first come, first served.
They've gotten better with finding the food -- I am no longer scratching food out of the feeder for them. Looks like it works better that way anyway, as they can get big mouthfulls at a time instead of just one little bit at a time from the floor of the box. I can tell when they're eating too -- they make lots of noise, like there's a party going on.
The new game of the day is to run from one end of the box to the other, then spin around and see who's looking. They are also pecking at a ribbon around a teddy bear that's keeping them company. I'll probably need to remove it so they don't succeed at taking bits off (and choke).
Speaking of choking, 1001 was put down because it was malformed. It had a very difficult hatch, and couldn't stand very long. And when it fell, it would spin in a circle trying to get up. It's sad to have to "take care of business". This is part of farm life I guess.
Tomorrow I'll do the egg postmortum, and put some pictures up for your viewing pleasure.
2004/08/08
Spiders no more
Now I know why I've been lazy about cleaning spider webs inside my house: I've always wanted to be sure I had a steady supply of food for the keets when they arrived. Today I cleaned out the entire house of spiders (at least the ones I could find) and gave the keets quite a feast. They were acting like the hadn't had food for days; the spiders didn't have a chance.
There are 8 keets with #9 stuck in the shell still. Looks like this one isn't going to make it. The other eggs show no sign of hatching. I learned from another owner who also had the eggs flown in that only 25% of her eggs hatched as well, so it looks like this is it for this flock.
Tomorrow I'll cull the stuck keet, and begin determining why the other eggs didn't hatch.
There are 8 keets with #9 stuck in the shell still. Looks like this one isn't going to make it. The other eggs show no sign of hatching. I learned from another owner who also had the eggs flown in that only 25% of her eggs hatched as well, so it looks like this is it for this flock.
Tomorrow I'll cull the stuck keet, and begin determining why the other eggs didn't hatch.
2004/08/07
First wave seems to have passed
Six keets hatched today, for a total of 8 healthy keets. One of these 8 seems to have a different father... or mother. It might end up being a Buff instead of Brown. There is also one more keet stuck mid-hatch. I don't think it'll make it, unfortunately.
None of the Jumbos are showing any signs of hatching.
None of the Jumbos are showing any signs of hatching.
Three... wait, four more this morning... five!
Woke up to find three new keets scrambling around the incubator. After getting a cup of my beverage du jour, I caught one more just making its final push out of the shell!
Oops... make that two more that just popped out of their shell! Today's a busy day for the stork.
We're up to 5 new keets for the day, 7 total apparently healthy (and noisy, crying) keets. Two keets are pipping at the moment (beginning the process of breaking out of the shell).
Only the Browns have hatched; the Jumbos are showing no signs of pipping. They are larger, and so might take a bit longer to develop. That's my hope at least.
Oops... make that two more that just popped out of their shell! Today's a busy day for the stork.
We're up to 5 new keets for the day, 7 total apparently healthy (and noisy, crying) keets. Two keets are pipping at the moment (beginning the process of breaking out of the shell).
Only the Browns have hatched; the Jumbos are showing no signs of pipping. They are larger, and so might take a bit longer to develop. That's my hope at least.
2004/08/06
I'm a daddy!
Twenty-seven days ago a package arrived. In it were 3 dozen Guinea Fowl eggs; twenty-four of them are Brown, the others are Jumbo. Check out Frit's Farm for guinea fowl details.
Yesterday one hatched! And today there were two!
I'm learning as I go. Today they trained me to show them how to find food and water. They are adorable, of course -- the cutest Guinea Fowl a parent could have.
I invited all my friends over to watch the rest of the hatch. It'll be a weekend-long party, yay! I'm looking forward to seeing everybody.
Yesterday one hatched! And today there were two!
I'm learning as I go. Today they trained me to show them how to find food and water. They are adorable, of course -- the cutest Guinea Fowl a parent could have.
I invited all my friends over to watch the rest of the hatch. It'll be a weekend-long party, yay! I'm looking forward to seeing everybody.
2004/07/10
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