When we got back from vacation, we noticed we had a bunch more guinea keets.
It’s impossible to count them. For one thing, they’re staying in tall grass right now. That means you can’t see half of them at any given time!
And for another thing, they may be little, but they can move FAST. I’ve counted up to 20, but I think it will be a while before we see how many there really are!
I was throwing out feed one morning when there was a BIG commotion. The guineas were going berserk! I noticed a bunch all rushing to one place, and I saw something I’d heard about but never seen before – guineas chasing a snake.
This was a good sized snake, and it was moving FAST! I couldn’t focus the camera quick enough before it had moved out of the picture again.
The guineas were in hot pursuit. . .
But the snake was in survival mode and had a destination in mind.
This snake obviously knew there was a hole in the tree, and was looking to escape there and get away from the guineas.
The guineas looked and screeched, but the snake got away from them.
He disappeared without a trace into this hole. This tree has a big hollowed out section, so he (she?) no doubt has a nice little home in there.
It was pretty cool to see all those guineas chasing after that snake though!
We still have a few keets, but the numbers dropped drastically. One trio of guineas started out with 12 keets, but only have 3 survivors.
The ones still left seem to be doing well, but then, so did their siblings until they disappeared.
Another couple of guineas have 2 keets. They only started out with 4, so their ratio of survival is at least a little better. You can see the back-end of one of the keets trying to get under Mama Guinea.
Sometimes they stay out where they can soak up a little sunshine.
They soon learn to scratch around looking for food. Here are the two small keets getting some corn one morning.
The little keets are mighty cute, but the adult guineas are a little strange looking with their small head, and plump body.
Sometimes both the older and younger keet groups get close together when they’re both pecking around for a little corn.
That really doesn’t happen very often, however, because the adults are too territorial and fuss at each other. They don’t want any other adults or keets near THEIR keets.
The guineas may be a little goofy, but they do have the redeeming feature of munching up ticks!
Friday The Farmer came in and told me he saw a guinea with one lone keet. I went out looking for it, and discovered there was not just one, but TWELVE little keets running around!
The only problem was getting a picture. The Mama and her helper had them out in the back pasture, and trying to see all those little keets in the taller grass was hard!
Actually, as little as they are when they first hatch out, the grass doesn’t have to be very tall to hide them. I know there was more than one keet in that picture, but I could only see the one.
You can see them a little better in this picture. . .
. . . But they still blend in a lot, and are nestled down in the grass.
A couple days later I got a chance for a better picture, when they were out in the llama pen.
As you can see, there are an even dozen.
Mama Guinea called to them, so they got all bunched up, then went traipsing off towards her.
Once they got there, she sat down and fluffed her feathers so they could all get underneath her.
Already, more than half of them had scooted under her.
It doesn’t take long until they all have disappeared, although the last one seemed to have a little trouble finding space.
All twelve managed to huddle under the Mama Guinea, however.
They’ll stay under there safe and sound until Mama decides it’s time to forage for food again!
Do you know the answer to this riddle? It describes our hidden assets.
We like to hide our assets around here where they’re not easily found. For instance, see this nice enclosure?
The Farmer put this pallet fence up to protect the trumpet vine and lilac bush inside from goatly depredations. They seem to have a special fondness for lilac leaves and bark.
But there are other things in there as well…. something is hiding.
Do you see them? Try looking in the weeds from this angle:
It’s easier to see them in that picture. I can see one head peeping out.
One of our hiding nesters got aggravated with me being so close to them, and moved away for a while.
The weeds and pallet fence hide these guineas quite nicely. They are also protected from predators since there are two dogs patrolling around outside the fence. I guess they’ve got it figured that this is a great place for hidden assets.
Two guineas can lay a lot of eggs, and of course eggs are our hidden assets and the answer to the riddle.