# Last hatching ( I hope)



## WhitecatFarm (Oct 10, 2014)

One hatch and 3 pips, one day early. Last batch, except for eggs under 3 broodies in the barn. I may also have to rescue some guineas before the summer is over...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

What do you mean last? That the girls won't go broody again this Summer? Lucky you if that's the case. 

Guinea rescue? Guineas don't usually need rescuing so this must be a bad situation.


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## WhitecatFarm (Oct 10, 2014)

I meant no more in the incubator. As to rescuing guineas, it is NOT a bad situation, thank you very much, it is just occasionally a hen will abandon a nest or try to eliminate another hen's babies and soft hearted me, I have to spring to the rescue.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ah, I thought you meant Guineas being kept by someone else that wasn't doing a very good job of it.

Yep, I get the rescuing thing where those crazy birds are concerned. I worked at training mine to lay in their coop every year when I realized they were laying again. It worked with some of the girls. The others? Not so much.


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## WhitecatFarm (Oct 10, 2014)

Mine lay outside, as they free range ( tick control) . Sometimes I find the nest sometimes not. Last year 2 nests got drowned, but I managed to hatch a few keets from each nest.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They can be stubborn when it comes to where their nests are. I finally let the outside pen go to tall weeds and the girls were quite pleased with that. 

Mine free ranged also. Used to be quite the game in trying not to hit a nest with the tractor for those girls that just refused to lay in a safer location.

The fun part was having a girl be successful when nesting in the field and get her moving with her keets to the coop. They could get quite serious about being too close to their babies but I would eventually get them to the nursery where they stayed until it was safe for them to be out first thing in the morning with the wet grass.

Have you ever had two males claim raising rights along with the female? I had it happen one year. Two males wanted in the nursery, they didn't fight or squabble at all and helped with the raising until one had enough and wanted to leave.


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## WhitecatFarm (Oct 10, 2014)

Yes actually, I also had a roo raise a batch of keets when mom got predated. He was a great Daddy. I love these strange little birds, never ending source of entertainment


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And sadness. I had one female I knew was sick. Never found the reason for her feeling so bad. Her last day she stayed in the coop with her mate at her side. She died fairly early in the day but when I went down to remove her body her mate was still with her. I went down later and this time her mate and several other birds were standing there in circle around her body. Not doing anything, not talking as they will do when they're confused about something. Saddest darn thing I think I ever witnessed with them.


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## WhitecatFarm (Oct 10, 2014)

They stand around a nest during a hatch, if one keet doesn't make it, they wait and wait until mom takes the survivors and leaves the nest. I think they have a weird intelligence, like little alien people


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I totally agree with you about their intelligence. So many expect them to behave like chickens and fail so miserably when they find they are anything but. But those that have them successfully are in for such a treat. 

My Guineas and my dogs worked together to keep the unwanted off our property. If the dogs saw the Guineas moving with that purposeful move that they do, the dogs left the porch to help. If the dogs did that certain bark the Guineas came running and followed the dogs to go after whatever it was.

One time I saw movement close up to the house, when I looked out of the window it was a fawn. It came up to play with the Guineas in the back yard. It followed the flock around the house, out past the chicken coop where I lost sight of it. 

I miss my flock. That was the worst part about our move.


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