We finally Got Baby Keets!

This week the mama Guinea who has been missing for a few weeks turned up with her new clutch. Her first two clutches were devoured by predators so we were thrilled when she showed up with babies on the ground.

I saw all five adult guineas together in the roundpen by the barn and there seemed to be a lot of activity. As I looked more closely, I could see the tiny keets running under all the guineas. Boy were they tiny! I couldn't get near them so in anticipation of rounding them up again like last year, I cleaned out the guinea shack, put a heat lamp in along with some straw, water and food.

The next day she actually brought them to the guinea shack which is in the lean-to of the barn. Mark walked around the corner and saw her sitting just outside the door. I had piled up some boards so the babies could get in over the threshold but they were too tiny. Mark managed to get them in along with mama guinea. Now they are safe and sound. There are 8 keets this year. It's early yet so I don't know how many will survive but they have a better chance now that they are inside away from predators. I'll try for better pictures as mama guinea gets more comfortable with me in her pen. Right now, she attacks when I go in to fill the water and feed.

Not the best picture, but if you look closely you

will see the baby keets, the blur are some in motion

As you can see, the French Marans are getting bigger

Here are a few pictures of the chickens including the black copper French Marans that are growing like crazy. They are big enough that today we took down their dividing fence and removed their tiny hut and integrated them into the big chicken world. Everything seems fine so far.

All the girls in their pens. The French Marans are

in their pen along side the regular chicken pen. We

took down the fence dividing them today.

This angle shows the divided pen

Not flashy but a pretty bird. She will lay the rich dark chocolate brown eggs

Healthy and happy hens!

The one cuckoo French Marans we got last spring is laying lovely dark brown eggs. The black copper French Marans are supposed to lay even darker brown eggs. It will be interesting to see if there is much difference.  The cuckoo marans has a sweet disposition. I may get more of that breed next year.

From a dedicated bird lover,
Delores