[Hencackle]

Found some eggs in the barn starting last week. It seems awfully early for Guineas.

 

[robin416]

Nope, pretty much on time. I've got my girls up right now to encourage laying in the pen because I heard the egg call this week. So far they're being stubborn. Holding onto the eggs but nesting in the woods is not a good idea.

 

[Hencackle]

I hope the barn guineas don't hear the call of the woods. It has happened before and something gets them.

They have been getting out of the electronet. Usually fly out of the barn and over the fence. Or squeeze through the net. They have NO sense of direction. Maybe yours do, but the barn guineas do not. That explains the worn path around the outside of the fence.

I'll open the electronet gate, lay it down on the ground and try to coax the bird back inside with a tobacco stick. What does she usually do? Go right past the gate and keep going! Grrrrr I've shouted directions and that does no good either. Even had a bowl of grain just inside the gate hoping she would see it and go inside. Again, didn't work.

The teenager that has farm sat for me in the past texted me once to ask, "What's up with the Guineas, they are running around the fence? What should I do?" I replied back, "They have no sense of direction or any sense whatsoever. Open the gate and chase them back. Good luck."

Now, the 2 "house guineas" raised by Attila the hen have better sense. They are my rooster's darlings and go in the coop with him and the other chickens.

 

[robin416]

Guineas will get themselves all worked up and any sense they have flies right out the window. The best approach is to just stand there and let them begin to calm. If they truly want back in once they're calm, walk them to the gate. Once one goes in, the rest will follow. Well, maybe not the low bird. They get bullied to the point of trying to avoid the confines of the coop.

Where chickens will follow you around Guineas need a bit of herding from behind. Some use long sticks to make their arms look longer, I never had much luck with that. Just spreading my arms, most of the time, got them moving where I wanted them.

And don't chase. That just winds them up tighter. Calm, steady, patience. As much as you might want to howl at the moon, been there more than once, that is what will bring success.

 

[Hencackle]

Yes, the longer "arms" technique works nicely. My patience wears thin when I see from the kitchen window that crazy guinea is still running in circles outside the barn lot. Patience wears thin very quickly when the wind is howling through or the rain blows in.
I knew you'd understand the guinea dilemma. BTW, how did your Lavender guineas do?

 

[robin416]

Well, things are doing well since I've got a girl wanting to lay in the woods. They've gotten now when they see me walk out the back door they come running because it's time for millet.

I've got one white boy that wants to live with the chickens. The other Guineas will leave and he stays hunkered down outside of the chicken pen. I allowed one of my silkies to hatch keets, he's one of those keets and recognizes his "momma."

 

[Hencackle]

Must be something about the white guineas. All mine are white.

I had an old (chicken) hen that would adopt the guineas after after they were kicked out of the nest by their other chicken mommas. It didn't matter if the guineas were old enough to have found their voices, they would congregate around Moonshadow. Sure wish I had a nice, clear picture around of her and her keets.

I'll tell dh when he gets home that its normal to lay this early. Its just been earlier for our experience of having them.

 

[robin416]

As soon as Chicklet was done raising the keets I took them out and caged them in the big Guinea pen for a bit. Remember Head Tuck, my head injury Silkie? That's what caused her head injury, a larger keet nailing her in the head.

 

[Hencackle]

Ouch, I remember reading about Head Tuck. Forgot about who caused her injury.

 

[robin416]

Amazingly, she managed to stay around for 14 years.

 

[Hencackle]

14 years--that's incredible!

 

[robin416]

I had several that lived over ten years. I got out how many years ago now? Kept just the old birds or those that were not Silkies. I've still got four left.

 

[Hencackle]

Just 2 of my chickens lived to be 12. Remember Willow? She lived a few more months after she turned 12. She passed away on the front porch, lying in the sunshine.

As for my crazy guineas, I found an egg lying on the ground between the chicken electronet and the goat's net. Right where they run in circles around the barn. Dh just about stepped on it as he was herding the last guinea inside.

If we were to take up the electronet, you'd see a ring of dead grass and dirt where the guineas have worth a path during their daily "runs".

 

[robin416]

I do or it's someone's kid named Willow. Nah, I don't know any kids. When Head Tuck turned 14 last March I started the vigil, I knew her time was approaching. She made it to July 1st. I wish she could have had the benefit of laying in the sun but she passed during the night.

Someone waited too long to go in and lay, got all wound up and ended up laying it in the open. That could lead to trouble. If she can't get to her nest to lay, she's going to choose something more accessible.

Mine might have returned to the pen today to lay. When they show up around ten I close the door and force them to lay in the pen. If they keep doing this then I'll know I won't have to close the door anymore.

 

[robin416]

So far, so good. The girls did return to the pen to lay. I was really suspicious yesterday that that's what they had done and I missed it. Today, knowing how many eggs were in there, I left the pen open after they all showed up. I just checked, there are more eggs in the nest.