New Arrivals
There are surprise babies at Tuppinz Farm!
A bunch of "scrubbing bubbles" appeared in the poultry food line yesterday:
"Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!"
We have 18 new guinea keets!
When the guinea fowl go broody, they do it in secret. We never know if a hawk or fox has made off with one of them (we wouldn't mind too much as we love the wildlife also), or if they're not coming home to roost at night because they're on a nest. Apparently this time it was the latter. I think I spy another hen on a nest out in the sheep pasture... we'll keep an eye on her to see if another clutch hatches out.
Our tick population is well under control, and guinea fowl are amazingly loud, so perhaps if all of these grow up to adulthood, we'll fatten a few for the freezer.
Our chicken coop was also home to another hatch of babies - barn swallows:
The parents kept the coop insect-free while feeding their young, so have been quite welcome. Chef Jeff tells me he would give the babies a little pat on their heads each day. Don't they look like they're smiling? Having barn swallows grace our farm with their presence is something we look forward to each spring. They zoom around like tiny fighter jets all summer long, catching bugs on the fly. Beautiful birds. We always sigh and know it's springtime when we see them return.
This is my favorite hen, Pigeon Pie. She is a Quail Antwerp Belgian bantam.
When it's my turn to feed the poultry, she is first in line, and flies up onto my outstretched arm, or onto my head, or right into the feed scoop to fill her little beak and scatter food everywhere, creating a pile of chickens, ducks, guineas, and geese at my feet so that I can't take a step. Today, she thought I had something special for her in my egg basket, and flew up to take a peek. Sorry, Pidge, just my work gloves and camera in there...
Weather is perfect here today - sunny, not too hot, breezy. Baby kestrels are learning to fly and hunt. Dogs are napping. Sounds like a plan. Blogger just ate a complete post I had done with it's "autosave" feature (I hate that feature!) Perhaps they could nix that, and get the autopublish feature up and running again? Sigh.
5 comments:
I've always loved the idea of Guinea Fowl but we live in a residential area and I don't really think the neighbours would be too happy with the noise.
Thanks for leaving a comment at The Chicken Daily, we haven't got much longer to wait now to see if we too will have new chicks.
what a lovely post, this must be a great time of year at the farm. I envy you the close association with the Barn Swallows and all the farm birds. thanks for sharing.
Happy clucky days chez Tuppinz :) I love guinea fowl too - do you think they are noisier than bantams?
Oh my gosh, yes, Pamela... they are noisier than the DONKEYS! (And that's saying something!)
When they get to calling one another from the top of the long barn in the evenings, Jeff and I can't even hear each other speak when we're standing next to one another in the driveway.
I'm amazed the other farmers haven't complained, as we're in a valley and it echoes! :)
I will have to do a YouTube video of them making their racket one day...
What a wonderful day, love your bubbles,lol. I am going to buy some guineas for insect patrol. We will see how that goes. Your Pigeon Pie is cool, always helpful. I purchased 12 babies, two of which did not make it. I bought a variety pack, all brown egg layers except for two that lay the colored eggs. Problem is that now that they are growing, I am not sure exactly what I have,lol. Ah, another adventure. Best to you
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