The Flocks of Guinea Hens
The new guineas born this year are completely integrated with the older birds, so finally things will get easier for a while! It’s been interesting to watch the dynamics to see how guineas and chickens would group together. Mostly it seems those that were hatched and started out together stick together. The four hens from early spring, which came from two different hatches, seem to hang out together.
The newest guineas are being protected by the two guineas who came before them in a separate group. Those two who we hatched together – Belle and Oliver – seem to be a couple of sorts, and Belle mostly protects the younger group of 8. Those two are often seen with the 6 older birds as well. We still wonder if eventually they’ll all join into one big group. That would certainly scare some predators off!
By the way, we never noticed it in the past, but this latest group of guineas are especially noisy! I don’t know if it’s because there are more females in the group or not! It could just be that everything is new to them, and they are reacting to all of that. We’ll see if they quiet down any!
Poor cockerel Lemonade has become a loner – he did not turn out to be a hen as we hoped. His “brother” Frankie had to go because he was too rough on all the girls. So far, knock wood, Lemonade does not seem too bad, so hopefully we’ll be able to keep him. He is an extremely skittish bird though, and he’s a problem going into the coop every night.
Hubby saw a bobcat in the yard one evening! That was a bit scary, but luckily he saw it before it could get near any birds (then the guineas tried to help by chasing it away!). We had put wolf urine around the yard to deter predators and it did seem to be working, until that evening. Hopefully it just needed to be freshened up and now that it is, the big kitty will stay away. In retrospect, we think it was probably responsible for some of our losses this year, not a coyote.
We’re always trying to come up with new ways to keep the unwanted wildlife away, so we’re discussing more options (such as clearing more brush away and putting fencing in some areas). We also upgraded the doors on the coop and run to make them more secure. There were too many gaps which meant small creatures might still find their way in. Plus they work much better!
It’s been chilly but we still haven’t had a frost, which is unusual here. All the rain might be a factor, since clouds keep the warmth in overnight more. Now we’re due for a sunny stretch (yay!), and it’s a bit warmer so we wonder when the first frost will come! It’s time to start putting the garden to bed for the winter, we have plans to do it differently for next year, but we may run out of time to get that started as I’d like to this fall. There is still wood to be stacked, lawns still need mowing, and the mower has issues hubby has had to spend time working on. Unfortunately, I don’t have much free time to help with anything.
Busy Busy
To my good, long-time blog friends: I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to visit your blogs or comment much lately!
Things have been crazy at my shop, we added on another room and getting things built and then moved around, along with finding new vendors and products is keeping me very busy! Since we’re coming in to “leaf-peeping” season here in NH, followed closely by the holidays, I don’t expect things will settle down for a while. I’ll do my best to pop in and see you from time-to-time, I try to still read but don’t always have time to comment.
As well as that, I’ve joined a Migraine Freedom program online with a functional health coach who specializes in migraines. I’ve suffered with migraine for over 30 years, doctors can only do so much, and I’ve finally had enough. I have high hopes that this program is going to be the answer, but it’s also a lot to work on with so much to read and learn, and big lifestyle changes. I know some of you who read my blog also suffer from migraine, so if you want more information about the program I’m in, I’d be happy to share with you. You can reach out via my shop gmail account farmgirlsfinds at gmail dot com. I don’t remember to check my blog email much because it’s mostly just spam in there!
Luke is Doing Well!
Luke has gotten through his seasonal allergies and is feeling much better! Thanks to all who suggested I add beets to his diet. I did that and I think it really helped him through the last of it. In spite of the rain, our weather has been much better for walking – not having to swat at mosquitoes the whole walk is definitely a bonus! Changing foliage is late here but it’s getting prettier out there all the time. Now that we’re due to have sunshine for the next week, we’ll get to enjoy it even more.
Happy Fall!!
• ★ Merry ★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★ Christmas ★。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚｜ 田田 ｜門｜ ˚
* Joy to all! ♫•*¨* Peace on Earth ♪♫•*¨*
Smooches to Luke and a hug to you. ♥
Merry Christmas from all of us!!!
I want to pet Luke’s belly so badly!
I love reading about bird politics!
Bird politics are way more fun than human politics, right? 🙂
You sure have a nice flock of guineas going on and we hope they remain safe from the bobcats, coyotes and foxes. Luke, you sure know how to enjoy a comfy!
Luke is a professional comfy guy! 🙂
So far so good with the birds, being safe, hope the same for your ferals. ♥
Awe the guineas are so cute! Fingers crossed Lemonade behaves himself and the bobcat stays away.
I’m glad your shop is doing so well and I totally hear you on the migraine front. It has been such a challenge to get my meds right with my neurologist and then when you toss the daily occipital neuralgia that I developed last June I just want to scream. They still can’t figure out why I am getting that daily now when it only used to be with the migraine :/ Hoping yours will get better!!
OMG that is probably why Matt’s allergies were better this summer. I thought it might be his supplement but his new food I started him on by Dr Harvey’s has beets in it so that probably also contributed to it. Makes since now LOL. Tell Luke he looks super cute in his Fall Collar 🙂
xoxo,
Bell Fur Zoo Mama
So far your crossed fingers are helping! (knock wood of course)
Migraines are such a struggle, aren’t they, especially when they keep throwing different things at us? My migraines are pretty much daily and every once in a while some new symptom crops up. 🙁 I hope to be off this roller coaster ride soon.
Luke says thank you, and he’s glad for Matt that the beets helped him too, even if it was accidentally! 🙂
xxoo
You sure are a very busy family!!
Hope you can get all the things done that you are hoping to do.
Those new doors look sturdy!
We had neighbors once who had a few guinea fowl,and they were SO raucous! Then they got a rooster to add to the racket…
Enjoy all the pretty fall colors around your place. The paintbrush will be very busy when you get the first frost, I think.
We are quickly losing our fall colors already, but are still awaiting that first frost! Looks good for this weekend though.
Once we get the coop and the garden settled for the winter, I hope things will be quieter for a while. Well, except at my shop, since we’ll be heading right into holiday shopping soon!
They are brave to help fight off the bobcat. I am sorry you suffer from migraines, but glad you found a group to help. Lemonade is cute, I hope you so get to keep him.
Well, brave or crazy, we’re not sure which. LOL
Lemonade has still been behaving himself, so far so good! I’ll be so happy if we finally get to keep a second rooster.
Love!! Are the noisy guineas trying to compete with the others, the youngest always have to yell to be heard, remember?? 🙂
Hahaha, I think you are right about that, Lynn!!
Busy is good! Glad things are going well on your farm, with your store and with Luke.
Thank you!! ♥
Aww, sweet Luke! Love that image of the guineas near the door to the fenced in area. It’s like they’re the Welcome Wagon!
They do like to play that role, though we’ve had some visitors that were a little scared of that welcome, LOL!
Lots going on, but you are two people so that helps and you enjoy what you have going on. We too are dying for a frost around here. It will be cooling off a bit now but still no frost in sight.
And still no frost here either!! Yes, there’s no way I could have the farm if not for my hubby, and when he retires things will get even easier, so I’m excited about that.
eggstra noisy you say? please send them to us, we would need some noisy friends ;O)
We are sure your neighbors would LOVE that! 🙂