We had a guinea casualty yesterday. Keegan noticed one of them hopping around the yard on one foot and let me know that it was hurt. We managed to corner it in the turkey coop so I could catch it and check it out. The poor thing had a severely broken leg. We had to put it out of its misery. My heart breaks to know that it was in such pain and I hope that it wasn't suffering for long before we found it. I wish I knew how on earth it managed to break it like that?! It is hard to tell. The guineas have started wandering farther and farther from home, always coming back, but who knows what kind of trouble they are getting into while they are gone. Brad has caught them in the road on several occasions and I hope that they don't get hit by a car!
Now that the guineas have stopped being so loud and alarming at the slightest little thing, I am much more attached to them and would like to keep them around! I never really noticed how pretty they are until I got a close-up look yesterday. They have such pretty eyelashes and are really attractive birds once you get over the shock of the white face, Mohawk, and horn on the top of their heads. They do need to get better at the tick control issue, which is a big reason that we got them to begin with. Keegan found 2 ticks on Ari (our little tick magnet) yesterday so they aren't doing as good of a job as I would like. Hopefully the remaining 9 will keep out of trouble and eat lots of bugs. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go ahead and incubate some eggs just to make sure I'm covered? The eggs are fertile btw! I'm so excited!
The 10 baby chickens that hatched are doing well and have more than doubled in size! I can't believe how fast they grow! Their wing feathers have already come in so they will soon be out of the cute sweet baby chick stage and on to the awkward teen stage. These are the feistiest but most curious and trusting chicks we have ever had. They remind me a lot of turkey poults. When I put my hand in the brooder, rather than running away, the chicks run toward my hand and bite at it. No doubt thinking that I have food. These are the first chicks that I have hatched in the incubator rather than buying at the feed store or having them shipped. Apparently it really makes a difference in how they react to us. I hope they are this friendly and accepting of us when they grow up!
The tomato seedlings are about 3 inches tall and have 2-3 sets of true leaves. Time to transplant soon! The peppers are still germinating. It seems to be taking them forever, but then the tomatoes were much quicker than most plants and coming up. The oregano still didn't sprout... I will never order from that company again. I had hoped that it was operator error (even though I know I did everything the way I was supposed to) but too many seeds never even germinated despite any changes or extra effort on my part. They were duds and I wasted a lot of money. Lesson learned! Baker Creek from now on.
In other news... Brad and I got hitched on Friday! The thought of planning (and paying for) a big wedding had stressed me out for faaaaarrrr too long. I'm not a big fancy wedding type of person anyway but I was doing it for Brad's sake. Friday was our anniversary anyway, marking 6 years since the first day we met and I fell in love at first sight. We decided to make it official at a very small service. Maybe one day we will renew our vows and have a big celebration, but until then I am just happy to be married to my soulmate. Married... wow... 10 years ago I would have said you were crazy if you would have told me it would ever happen! And that I would be this happy about it! It goes to show that there really is that one special person out there for everyone. I've officially claimed mine and have the papers to prove it!
I had to pop in and say congratulations to you and Brad! How wonderful that is and I so agree about the big wedding. Often time the bills from the wedding last longer than the marriage and that is sad. I'd rather have that money to live on than to have the album of pictures. Later on a nice big party will be very nice and not near as stressful.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the guinea. There again, you are a good person. I think I have been gone from the farm for too long. I'm too soft. I would be devastated at the loss and worry myself to death daily over the flock. Yep, too soft. Reference to the chicks, they think you're mama. Those you buy have had a tough life just getting to the store where you buy them so they would be skittish I would think. Can you imagine all the little kids going in the store picking them up, squeezing them too tight and then throwing them back in the box? I'd be skittish too. Now every time over the next years that your chicks/chickens see you coming they'll be running to you saying "Mama, Mama"! Congratulations again!
Thank you so much! Its nice to have support in my decision to get married without all of the fuss and frills. So many people seemed disappointed by the decision and had such a hard time believing that I am completely and totally content with that! I don't feel like I lost out on anything. I was beyond stressed and alarmed at the idea of spending so much for one day when we work so hard to make money stretch the rest of the time. There are so many much better things I could think of to spend money on... like a tiller perhaps? LOL I've become a frugal country girl through and through over the last few years apparently. I am a softy too... I have stressed all morning because when I left for work this morning all of my guineas were in the road again. I just don't know what to do. Of course stopping traffic while flapping my arms like a lunatic while the guineas looked at me like I was stupid and didn't listen to a word I said seemed appropriate at the time. Didn't do much good though. They are either very stubborn or very stupid... perhaps both. Nothing to do but keep trying, hoping, and incubating eggs for the future generation. I think you are right about the chicks. This is the way I will do it from now on if I have any choice in the matter at all. Brad is working hard on perfecting the temperature control. Its nice to have a computer tech/physicist/mathematician/electronic genius around sometimes! Thank you again!
Deletehey there, I messaged you back in november. I just want to let you know we are still interested in 4 to 6 bourbon red poults as soon as they are available! message me at siriusly998@gmail.com! we are prepared to come pick them up whenever they are ready!
ReplyDelete