Post by Lannie on Sept 20, 2008 17:29:26 GMT -5
Remember when I told you the fox got our guinea hen and the other Brahma hen, leaving all the chicks and keets orphaned? I'd managed to collect most of them and have been keeping them in a "nursery" section in our coop, and finally yesterday I decided to let them out. I think they're big enough now (6 weeks) and it was getting a little cramped in there, as active as they all are.
They were all scared to come outside the open chicken run yesterday afternoon, but the two guinea daddies were delighted to go in and get reunited with their babies. They've seen each other every day, through the wire, but now they can actually be together. This morning I let everyone out, including all the babies, and the little keets followed their two daddies right out. They've been wandering all over the yard, corral and part of the pasture all day, chasing grasshoppers and other bugs. There are two little girls in the group of five keets, so maybe I'll have some more next year too.
Meanwhile, Zeus, the used-to-be-Alpha Brahma rooster that got bumped down into last place, has been sleeping every night in the nursery with the "kids," and he seems to have taken over the job of mothering the Brahma chicks. They follow him everywhere, and he finds food for them and keeps them in a group. It's too funny!
The Brahma hen that had originally hatched the first three little guinea keets seems glad to be rid of her responsibility. She handed the keets over to the guinea roosters without a qualm, and she never thought of the Brahma chicks as her babies anyway, so Zeus has had no comments from her, either.
I just think it's pretty cool that after having such a tragedy with two of the three mamas with babies being killed, that it's turning out so well, with the daddies taking care of the babies. Wow!
~Lannie
They were all scared to come outside the open chicken run yesterday afternoon, but the two guinea daddies were delighted to go in and get reunited with their babies. They've seen each other every day, through the wire, but now they can actually be together. This morning I let everyone out, including all the babies, and the little keets followed their two daddies right out. They've been wandering all over the yard, corral and part of the pasture all day, chasing grasshoppers and other bugs. There are two little girls in the group of five keets, so maybe I'll have some more next year too.
Meanwhile, Zeus, the used-to-be-Alpha Brahma rooster that got bumped down into last place, has been sleeping every night in the nursery with the "kids," and he seems to have taken over the job of mothering the Brahma chicks. They follow him everywhere, and he finds food for them and keeps them in a group. It's too funny!
The Brahma hen that had originally hatched the first three little guinea keets seems glad to be rid of her responsibility. She handed the keets over to the guinea roosters without a qualm, and she never thought of the Brahma chicks as her babies anyway, so Zeus has had no comments from her, either.
I just think it's pretty cool that after having such a tragedy with two of the three mamas with babies being killed, that it's turning out so well, with the daddies taking care of the babies. Wow!
~Lannie