New Friends...

by L:

Well, yes, we have some new friends!  We are now the proud owners of two chickens (Marci and Mabel) and 4 guinea fowl hens (Gladys, Gabby, Gretl and Gracie  (all girls, we dont want a rooster... they are apparently nothing but trouble, to judge from the number of them that people are constantly trying to give away on Marketplace).  We bought the coop (they call them chicken tractors here, if they have wheels... which seems odd to me because sounds like they are  for the birds to do yardwork... well, they will - but not by driving anything)  The guinea fowls in particular are apparently MASSIVELY good at eating ticks, which we have aplenty down here - is a huge problem, as is Lyme disease... so our girls will keep us safe!   The chickens will also eat ticks if they come across them (once they are free range)... but the guineas have an inbred "seek & destroy" gene re ticks, so YAY!   The chickens will return to the coop at night, but apparently guineas are dumb as stumps and wander away unless they are firmly imprinted on the coop (which has now been named "The Birdie Bunkie") and on the rest of their flock - the chickens - so we were advised to keep them in the Bunkie for 2 weeks before we let them out.   They are all getting along fine although clearly getting some degree of cabin fever... they have another week to go, then we will let one out the first day, then another the next, etc... they are very very flock-oriented so will automatically go to where their flock is, or so we've been told...  and the chickens - well, Marci and Mabel have presented us with 4 eggs so far!   We will be getting another couple of chickens from our friend/handyman E, in a week or so, so will likely not have to buy eggs again for a long time!  We asked the breeder what kind of chickens Marci & Mabel are, and she said "Maranas ?"  so it sounded like she wasn't sure what she gave us (was a week ago)... but they are nice little chickens, very friendly - even to taking veggies from S's hand -but we are still trying to confirm their breed...  

We've heard that guineas are horribly noisy - that they wander off and then realize they don't know where their flock is and SCREAM for them to come rescue them, apparently, but except for the trip home (they were all put in boxes to transport (our 6 birds and two guineas for E) and BOY were they noisy on the (hourlong) trip!!!)... but so far all the noise they have been making are soft squirbling sounds... except when the Canada geese fly overhead and diss them... that's happened a couple of times and they've responded loudly in kind...  there have been a couple of squawkfests but that seems to be just (a) egg being laid or (ii) someone got snippy - Gabby guinea seems to be a bit bossy... and apparently they will act like guard dogs, raising a ruckus if a predator comes near... we have a resident fox (Stewie)  and many hawks and eagles so we will see how that works once they are released...  The guineas apparently may/will also lay eggs but don't use the nesting boxes in the Bunkie, prefering to find a secret hideyhole in bushes or whatever... so that will be .... Interesting... with 4 1/3 acres... but we'll see...