We have some new residents on the farm!
Three guinea fowl! Don't know yet if they're boys or girls but I think they're really cute (in a vulturesque sort of way!) My friend's son bought them as hatchlings but decided he didn't have time to build them a predator-proof pen, so I bought the trio off him. They hatched out last month and are still growing!
They came with names: Widget, Fidget, and Gidget! They are amazing tick-eating machines, but I'm not sure how much I will be letting them roam free outside the new fenced-in and roofed run, given the many hungry and agile predators we have around here. When they are a little bigger and settled in, I'll introduce them to the chickens and ducks. They are very skittish but I think they're cute. I know that guineas can be quite noisy but I have no neighbours to worry about! Rooster crowing doesn't bother me either. I love natural sounds like that. It's city noises that drive me crazy.
Meanwhile, up near the house...
Mr. Dorkalicious was enjoying a snooze!
He loves lying on the paved driveway. You would think it'd be uncomfortable, but he's always flaked out there. I guess he likes the heat!
Happy boy, sticking his tongue out.
And Sophie walked to the new beehives with me today. I had to go feed the girls sugar syrup. Sophie found a nice shady spot nearby to lie down in. Tristan tagged along too! He's slow but methodical and eventually catches up to us.
And guess what else is going on at the farm?
Karène the duck started sitting on a nest of eggs a few days ago. Yes, more ducklings in our future! The eggs should hatch in about a month.
Hope you are all having a good week!
I once bought a dozen baby Guinea Fowl, but I put them in an old stone pig sty and the rats got in. I've felt so guilty ever since that I've not had more. I now buy them 'oven ready'; delicious.
ReplyDeleteThose new residents are in need of some feather transplants on their upper parts :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new babies. And watch Cro, he might put in offer in when they are ready.:-)
ReplyDeleteI liked seeing them on my friend's farm. They were noisy, but kept to themselves in spite of having the run of the place.
ReplyDeleteTristan is the biggest ham!
ReplyDeleteJane x
With your guinea hens you're really branching out. Did you ever count how many different types of critters you have. I'm still waiting for the draft horses! The draft horses would be every bit as interesting as the bees.
ReplyDeleteThe guineas are cute! You can tell the females from the males by their call - females sound like "buckwheat" and the males sound like "chi chi chi" - does that make sense? :) We have so many guineas right now. At last count it was 35! They free range and we have lost a couple lately so it can be dangerous to let them out.
ReplyDeleteAbout 35 years ago I had both Muscovy ducks and Guinea fowl (among other poultry) and I remember the Guinea fowl were always up in the trees roosting! I love Muscovy ducks - they are so different from other types of ducks. Friendly and tail-wagging and funny hissing noises that aren't aggressive like geese can be. If I remember, don't they have blue eyes? I remember the females liked to sit on my lap. I had raised them from babies. Love to see photos of your animals.
ReplyDeleteHa ha they do look a bit vulture-ish don't they?
ReplyDeleteI hadn't come across guinea fowl until we visited a garden fair last year. We went off in search of some rather loud bird calling, make that very loud, and there they were.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the life you lead. It looks idyllic. And I get to enjoy it from here with no ticks!
ReplyDeleteI showed my grandson your blog and of course, he "zero" in on the dog sleeping in the driveway. My grandparents had Guinea Fowl and they are a beautiful bird to add to your menagerie, XOXO
ReplyDeleteVery cool. I miss having guineas and maquovie ducks (I never spell that right ) ... but the rest of the animal crew keeps us on our toes ... and like you , I love every minute of it!
ReplyDeleteOur neighbor had Guinea fowl in California and I have to say they aren't the brightest crayons in the box, if you get my drift. They would nest in a log on the ground and then leave the babies there and roost in the trees. Made a nice snack for the coyotes. Then the coyotes would wait for the adult Guineas to come down out of the trees in the morning. More snacking. My neighbor started out with 21 and ended up with just a couple of them left. Our banty hen hatched one of the Guinea eggs he managed to save. He took the hen home when it was grown but it came back and kept walking around our fenced chicken yard trying to get back in with its "Mum," who was only about a third its size.
ReplyDeleteFriends had some guineas. She says the eggs are delicious
ReplyDeleteWow, lots going on at your place! Love the new guinea fowl and the new bee hives, and look forward to seeing the field when the replanting takes hold. Sheri
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