Geese & Guineas - Update

I took a picture of the guinea egg clutch on April 3rd.  Then after I uploaded the pics to iPhoto, I printed out one so we could get an accurate count of how many eggs have been laid. I kept losing my place when I tried to count them in the coop, and the same thing happened when I tried to count them on my computer monitor!

62 eggs!!

Now our guinea hen has some help too.  Looks like one of the other guinea hens decided she needed assistance covering all those eggs.

It's going to be interesting to see how this all turns out.  My best estimate puts the hatch date around April 20.  One part of me wants to let the moms take care of everything, but then another part of me says they are in a small coop with other guineas, including 2 males, and I'm not sure how well the newborn keets might fare in that situation.  

So perhaps we'll get the brooder ready, and move the new keets as they hatch.  It would be easier to introduce them to food and water that way also.  

We'll need to find new homes for the keets ASAP.  Our coop space won't tolerate even 2 more birds.  We've been discussing our future coop options - either enlarging the current coop, or building a separate coop east of the house on an existing concrete pad near the horses and the shop.

On a somewhat related note, the two Canadian geese who were hanging around the last few weeks decided to set up their new home near our pond. Their nest is on a small peninsula that hubby started to build last fall when we rented a Bobcat over Labor Day weekend.

I didn't want to get too close and upset them, so here's the best photos I managed to get a few days ago, from the opposite side of the pond.  The male (see photo below) kept a close eye on me the whole time.

Sorry.... you'll have to click the photo to enlarge it!

The goose is laying her head down to hide from me.

Both times that I've visited the pond, this is what the male does.

He flattens himself to try to hide from us, all the while keeping an eye on us.

I wish them both the best of luck.  We have so many coyotes around here.  I've heard them howling a lot lately, or rather, the dogs have woke me up because they hear them howling first.

So all in all, the next few weeks should be interesting here on the ole homestead!

Of Geese... and Guineas

Two Canadian geese have been hanging out at our pond for the last few weeks.  They've come quite close to the house, as close as the chicken coop.  Last week, our two younger guineas weren't very happy about their intrusion --the male guinea and male goose did a bit of sparring.

The guinea hens started laying eggs about 4 weeks ago.  In a rather surprising turn of events, they started a clutch of eggs in a corner of the coop.  This was very unusual since last year they attempted to build two different nests in hidden outdoor locations.  The natural inclination of guineas is to find a hidden location in nature.  In last year's case, we brought some of their eggs indoors and incubated the hatches.

But today, one of the guinea hens has gone broody!  So we'll let nature take its course and see if she actually hatches some chicks.  If she does, then we will move the hatched chicks to the brooder on our back porch, where they will have a better chance of survival.

Guineas don't have the greatest reputation as mothers -- they will go out to feed in dew-laden grass and newborn chicks will follow mom, dying soon thereafter from the exposure.

And so the countdown begins... 26 days!

Nap Time + Lehman's Country Giveaway

What is it with animals?  They keep us up at night, and then they have their nap time during the day while we put eye drops in our red-rimmed eyes and get ready for work....

As you can see, the keets are napping.  It's what they do best when they're little.  Except last night.  The two runts kept me up, peeping at the top of their little lungs.  Worried mama (me) kept checking on them, holding them while they fell asleep. 

Not good for my sleep time....  so now I'm over-fatigued today after working all 3 days this weekend at the turnpike, which was busy with travelers heading home yesterday!

Here's a reminder: you only have until tomorrow to enter the Lehman's country giveaway and win one of two $25 gift certificates!! 

Read my original post here, with the rules to enter.  

Comments do not qualify as entries - you must reply to the email you receive announcing a new post on my blog.  In order to do that, you need to subscribe to my blog (see box at top of right sidebar).

It's free, and easy, to subscribe!!

And you can unsubscribe at any time.

But remember, there will be 10 more months of country giveaways here, so you might want to hang around for awhile.  :-)

All In A Day - and The Lehman's Country Giveaway!

It's been a busy Sunday already... cleaned out the keets' Rubbermaid tote AND cleaned the chicken coop. Cleaning the coop is always quite the chore.

Hubby put together a new metal nesting box unit for the hens, which will be so much more healthy (translate: not as germy) than the old wooden nesting boxes were.

9 keets so far - 4 pearls, 5 lavenders

 

Midge, our Ameraucana hen

Foghorn poses - yep, that's his name

We did a walkabout on the property - hubby showed me what he had accomplished with the Bobcat we are renting this weekend.  He started digging out the silt pond yesterday afternoon. 

We did get about a half inch of rain last night, of course.  Because we rented the Bobcat, you know.

The poor dried-up big pond

A mud turtle at the big pond

He decided to remove a nasty bush at our back porch that attracts flies as if it had a dead corpse inside it.  It doesn't (have a dead corpse) but the flies must think so.

Bush be gone!

The Bobcat removeth!

Don't forget to enter the Lehman's country giveaway

for your chance to win one of two $25 gift certificates.  

Click here to read the post with

all the details on how to enter!

Our Second Keet Hatch... and Don't Forget the Lehman's Country Giveaway!

Our first pearl guinea - isn't she just precious?!

We'll just say it's going much better than the last hatch.  Since about 3 a.m., we've had 4 keets hatch out!

And yes, the brooder light is secured by the ginormous nail that hubby pounded into the windowsill last time...

And this time we've got our first pearl keets - so far we've got 2 pearls and 2 lavenders.

First two keets - one pearl, one lavender

There are still 10 eggs in the incubator - I hear chirping behind me right now, need to check... yep, #5 is starting to bust outta his shell!

I've got to go take a nap before work today.  Couldn't sleep once I woke up at 3:15 a.m.  I wonder why.

Don't forget to enter the

Lehman's country giveaway!

Two lucky readers will each win a $25 gift certificate to Lehman's.  Make sure you follow the rules, which are short, simple and easy: 

You need to reply to an email announcing

there's a new post on my blog.  

To be able to do that, just subscribe to my blog, up in the right of my sidebar, being sure to follow through with the email verification that Feedburner requires.

The next time you get an email announcing a new blog post, just hit "reply" and put in the subject line, "Enter me in your Lehman's country giveaway!

Really, that's it.  Here's a link to the original post with the full rules - you still have until September 7th to enter.

Good luck to all, and hope everyone is having a fantabulous Saturday!!

Here We Go Again... New Guinea Eggs to Incubate!

Yep, a fresh clutch of eggs was found by my husband 15 minutes  before I needed to leave for work yesterday!

While he quickly ran to get the incubator (which was finally re-boxed and re-homed to the garage on Sunday) I grabbed a cardboard egg container, lined it with kleenex and ran out near the horses' pen to grab as many eggs as I could.

I left the eggs in the guest bedroom for the night, where they would be stored around 70 degrees or so.

This morning I will add 18 eggs (or more?) to the warm incubator and we'll wait 23-28 days and see what happens with this bunch.

Maybe this time, we'll end up with more than just 2 keets.

Hmmmm, maybe this is going to become a side business. :-)

Saving Keet #3 From Sure Death

Did you think I had forgotten about my promise to tell the story of keet #3?

Remember my post last week about his 2 days worth of pipping?

Tuesday afternoon

I had vowed, yea SWORE, I would not help any keets hatch.  Every single bird authority in the vast sea of internet information said "if they cannot hatch on their own, then they are weak or have some deformity and will not survive anyway."

Wednesday afternoon

In sheer desperation, I turned to fellow guinea owners on the Guinea Fowl International forum-- should I help a keet hatch, when he's been trying to hatch for 2 days?  (Great group of people there!)

The overwhelming response was YES and DO IT NOW OR HE'S GOING TO DIE!!

One gal even gave me a link that was rich with information on helping a guinea keet hatch. I assembled the necessary tools-- small nail scissors, tweezers, cotton balls, q-tips, bowl of warm water, wet & warm washcloth.  Oh yes, and my eyeglass readers too, so I could see what the heck I was doing!

Thursday morning

As I picked up the egg and removed it from the incubator, I could feel the small keet move inside. I sat down at my computer desk, enveloped the egg in the warm, damp washcloth, and began to chip away at his shell with the tweezers.

But I had a problem.

My hands were shaking so ferociously,
I feared I would hurt the keet!

I was very, very cautious at first-- almost too timid.  I used the nail scissors and the tweezers interchangeably, trying to create a crack in the shell with the scissors and then pull it away with the tweezers.  I wet the edges of the shell and the dry membrane with a q-tip dipped in warm water, and gently pulled at the membrane, careful not to pull any of the keet with it.

After my assistance

Once I had made his hole larger, I put him back in the incubator (huge sigh of relief!) and waited for him to finish the job.

I returned in 15 minutes expecting to see a hatched keet... um, no.  

In fact, it appeared he needed MORE assistance from me.

Oh good grief.  My poor shaking hands....

... this time, as I helped him one of his little eyes popped open.  I wonder what he thought!

After my assistance AGAIN
I just LOVE this leg photo!

Ok, let's put you back in the incubator again, surely you can finish the job yourself this time, you silly little keet... we'll check back in 15 more minutes...

I returned again to find he was STILL not out of his shell!  

Ok, this time we removed enough shell so that only half remained.  My hands did not shake as much ... I was getting used to the procedure.

Let's put you back in the incubator one more time. In fact, let's tilt the egg so you, well, sort of FALL OUT.

Yay!!  He finally "hatched"!  A REALLY BIG SIGH OF RELIEF.

A hatched, healthy keet!

Today marks his one week birthday.  He's a fine, healthy keet, and growing as fast as his sibling.  I'm so glad I took the chance to help him out.

Several hours later, fluffed and with his sibling (keet on left)

What lesson did I learn from this experience?

I learned I can do something I'm scared to death to do.  Believe me, I was petrified to help him.  But then I asked myself:

What is the worst thing that can happen?

And I realized, in that moment, the answer to that question was the same answer to "What will happen if I do NOTHING?"

4 days old (he's behind his sibling)

All of us step out of comfort zones at one time or another.  Living in the country is helping me do this more and more.

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone, 

did something out of character, and in the end, 

was really, really happy that you did so?

A Keet Nap... and Last Day to Enter Grit Giveaway!

Keets like to stretch o-u-t when they sleep.

Most guinea experts will tell you...

they almost look dead!

Today is the last day to enter the awesome Grit magazine subscription giveaway.  If you're not familiar with what Grit magazine is all about, click on the link to their website and check them out -- they are everything country, and especially self-sufficient country.  Definitely one of my favorite magazines!

Entry rules are posted in prior posts, but it's really quite simple: just hit "reply" when you get an email announcing a new post on my blog, and in the subject line put "Enter me in your Grit giveaway!"

That's it.

Entries will be accepted until midnight Tuesday, PST - that's 3 a.m. Wednesday Eastern time.  So if you haven't subscribed to my blog yet, you still have time.  That neat little subscription box is over in my left sidebar.

Best of luck to everyone who has entered so far, and remember, even if you don't win a subscription to Grit magazine, there are going to be more fun country giveaways over the next 12 months.  

I've got a hay-wagon full of great ideas

and can't wait to do all the future giveaways!

A Country Morn ~ and A GRIT Giveaway!

It's been a busy country morning here on the farmstead already.

Processed 5 jars of dill spears.

(Thank you, Penny, for your recipe!)

Cleaned the keets' brooder.

I love their chirpiness! 
(And they already poo'd in the clean brooder!!)

Got hungry.  Made a cheese 'n onion omelet

with guinea eggs.  Yum.

Now I'm off to clean the incubator.

The eggs have been removed.

No more are going to hatch.

Reminder....

Don't forget to enter the great Grit magazine subscription giveaway!

Entry Rules:

You must subscribe to my blog.  Subscribing means you get an email announcing any new blog posts. 

When you get an email announcing a new post, hit "reply" and change the subject line to say "Enter me in your Grit giveaway!"  

If you haven't subscribed already, it's easy.  In my left sidebar is a link that says "Follow Oz Girl Via Email".  Simply enter your email address, follow the instructions to verify it's really you, and then you will be subscribed!

You have until Tuesday midnight PST to enter the Grit giveaway.  I'll be putting up one more post tomorrow morning.  Subscribe today, and follow the above instructions to enter the contest when you get your email tomorrow announcing my newest post.

Thanks for following and reading my blog.

I aim to give you lots more over the next year.

Lots more country living and lots more country giveaways!

Two Keets Left

The one I saved yesterday is on the right.

#2 is behind him.

Solution to secure brood light.

Who cares about the stupid windowsill.

P.S.  The remaining eggs will continue to incubate through Sunday.
If nothing happens, then I guess nothing is going to happen.
Sunday will be day 28, max days for guineas.

So 2 may be all we get.

Bad News Today

I just awoke to a note left by my hubby on the kitchen counter....

Bad news. One of the keets is dead.

The light fell off and was in brooder.

Not sure how long it was like that

but one of the keets was under the light.

I will try to put a screw up there

so that doesn't happen gain.

And so, now, I am sad.  I think it was the first keet who died.  I just visited with the 3 of them last night when I got home from work.  I never did get a photo of the 3 of them together.

I will get a photo of the two who are left later this morning.  The one I helped yesterday is still alive, as is #2.

I don't think any of the other eggs are going to hatch, for reasons unknown.  I will give them until Sunday, which will be the full 28 days incubation.

#3 Made It!

With just a little help....

ok, maybe just a little MORE help....

#3 finally made it out of his shell!!

And that's a story for another day.

WHEW.

Poor Number Three

Click to enlarge -- you can see the additional cracks in the egg.

He's trying so hard, but he's really having a hard time getting out of his shell.  I can sympathize with the poor little bugger... goodness knows, I have a hard time cracking these shells myself when I cook with them!  Guinea shells are the toughest shells I've ever known!

He's not a quitter, I'll give him that.  He's been working on that hard shell since Tuesday afternoon.  I can still hear him peeping away this morning.  If only those two cracks (horizontal and vertical) would give way for him! My guinea book says they can take up to 2 days to hatch, so he's approaching that timeframe this afternoon.

I've got my fingers crossed for him!!

Now We Have Fred AND Fredonia

At least they have each other now!

Aren't baby animals just so cute?!

No. 3 is trying really hard!