Sunday, August 26, 2012

Guinea Keets and Cats

I know it's been a few weeks since I last posted, but as I always say, life doesn't slow down here at Razzberry Corner.  So much has happened I don't know where to start...
 
Benji the feral cat that we brought in for 2 weeks and released is doing fine now.  He's the ruler of the outdoors.  He's a farm cat.  He's putting on some weight so he's not all skin and bones anymore.  He seems to be very happy outside - he hated being inside!  He follows me around as I do my outside farm chores.  He's a sweetie.  Yesterday I found and caught a snake in the chicken coop.  Benji watched me, but wanted nothing to do with the snake!  I showed it to him.  It was just a black rat snake, but I didn't want it around my eggs in the chicken coop, so I released it about a half mile down the dirt road.   




  
 
Mostly the adult guineas ignore the outside cats.  But in the photo below Benji got too close to for the guineas' comfort...


 
...And one of the guineas gave Benji a little chase!


 
We still have 5 adult guineas.  Nothing has killed any of them recently.  It's been a very good summer for the guineas.



Our guinea keets are growing up.  They are about as big as the chickens already.  There are so many of them - 18!!!  Soon it will be time to release them from the chicken pen into the wild with the adult guineas.  The adult guineas will be very happy to have company; they spend a lot of time at the chicken pen fence communicating with and watching the keets now.
 



 
They look like scruffy teenage guinea keets now.  With dirty feet!  They're losing the brown color and getting darker colors and spots.  I am very happily surprised that 18 keets lived.  We only lost 1 keet back on the first day we got them as newborns.  


When we get the keets out of the chicken pen it will be quiet again in the pen.  Right now we have 18 chickens, so we doubled the population with the keets.
 
There's so much more going on...
Next time I'll tell you about another new addition to the farm!!! 
Plus I'll give you an update on Penny the former house foster chicken. ...Dear Penny...
 


9 comments:

Carolyn said...

So happy to see Benji is at home being a farm cat :)
And my, that's a lot of guineas! Bet the chickens will be happy to have their own coop to themselves again.

Chai Chai said...

Guinea Keets are surprisingly hearty aren't they! I find it interesting that a snake made it into your coop, guineas are snake killers normally.

Ronna said...

Great pix. So happy Benji is with you guys. He looks like a lovely boy!

John Going Gently said...

I am lucky I guess ... just losing the one guinea this year

Gail said...

That is a wonderful number of raised keets. We always set our guinea eggs under chickens. Better care that way.

Farm Girl said...

I love the update. I wish I could keep guineas. Maybe next year. In the past the foxes were so bad I just never tried. I haven't seen any this summer so maybe I could. I can't wait for a update on Penny. Not to mention your new addition.

LindaG said...

Congratulations on the chicken and keet additions. That is fantastic!
Have a blessed week. :o)

Razzberry Corner said...

CR - YES, the chickens will be happy to get rid of all those guineas! Just so their food is their food again!

Chai Chai - Yes they are! I was SHOCKED there was a snake in the coop! If the 18 guineas were free, there would have been no snake! The 5 adults are slacking!

Ronna - Benji is a goof-ball. This morning he was running laps around the front yard. For no reason. He just has so much energy. He runs around, tackles a stone or tall blade of grass, rolls around on the ground playing with it, then takes off running until something else catches his attention.

John Gray - I cannot wait until the day I release all the young guineas! There will be a guinea celebration!

Gail - It's a LOT of guineas, that's for sure!!! :)

Kim - I'll be posting another update soon!

LindaG - Thanks!!

~Lynn

Knatolee said...

THe guineas are looking so healthy and happy! Benji's hilarious .. "Let's see how far I can push this thing!" CLoser, closer, closer...