Saving Fossils with Sunlight: Sustainable Poultry Odyssey

In the past we had ordered a variety of chicks, two dozen at a time, that arrived by post. Even though they matured into both roosters and hens, no mom ever became "broody" and incubated her eggs. Five years ago we again tried to develop a flock of sustainable poultry. At a tailgate sale we obtained two dozen white leghorn peeps, two Buff Orpington roosters and three matching hens. Although these fowl produced a phenomenal number of eggs the following years, none succeeded in producing offspring. One by one they succumbed to various maladies until we had only a single rooster.

Spring, a year ago, we tried a different approach: a pair of young Guinea Fowl and a dozen "fertile" chicken eggs. The eggs never hatched and a year later we still had two vociferous fowl and the last of the earlier flock: a large Orpington rooster. Throughout an entire year we never found a Guinea fowl egg so our pair turned out to be both male. This spring we procured three Guinea hens to attract their attention. Within a few weeks we started finding eggs in the nesting boxes located in the chicken tractor. Eventually they decided laying eggs only in the upper left box. After it contained about 30 eggs, one of the Guinea hens began sitting on them.

Our Buff Orpington Rooster and Two Male Guinea Fowl: Spot and
Dot

Closeup of Dot

The Dozen "Fertile" Eggs That Never Hatched: The Labels Help Orienting Them When Turning Then Every Day

The other two Guinea fowl, now blocked from laying eggs in the common nest by the broody fowl, found a secret place in some brush to lay their eggs. When clearing a patch of brush we came across the nest and collected the eggs because we didn't want the local fox to eat them or one of our fowl. We watched in horror a fox stalking our flock and successfully grabbing one by the tail. Guinea fowl are very strong fliers and it got away, leaving only a trail of many dozen feathers!

Part of the Trail of Feathers Left by the Fox

The First Hidden Guinea Fowl Nest

A week later we discovered a second nest with eggs and have been periodically snitching some of the eggs so that they never total more than ten. So far, they only visit the nest to lay eggs and show no tendency to brood.

The Second Hidden Guinea Fowl Nest That We Rob Every Few Days

Our Egg Basket With Eggs From the Nest Above

The incubation period for chickens is around 21 days and we were disappointed that no keets (a baby Guinea fowl) appeared under the brooding Guinea fowl in 24 days, then 28, then 30. But on day 32 I saw a tiny keet on its mom's back. We couldn't imagine a keet surviving a five foot drop from her nesting box, nor would it be safe for them to live on the ground in the chicken tractor along with now eight full size birds. An internet search revealed that Guinea fowl moms are not especially good at taking care of their young and most recommended raising keets by hand.

Our First Two Keets on the Pile of Eggs Their Mom Had been Sitting on For More Than 30 Days

Basket of Keets on Their Way to the Nursery

Picking Keets One-by-one so Each Can Have Its Bill Dipped Into the Water Trough to Insure It Knows Where to Get a Drink

Keets Huddled Under the Heat Lamp

Keets Basking in Early Morning Sun That They Like Better Than the Heat Lamp

We set up a nursery with game bird kibble, water and a heat lamp and secreted 13 keets away from their mom. She still had 30 eggs under her when she decided she had no future sitting on them and she left them ever longer periods. I fired up our incubator and transferred half the remaining eggs to it. The first night one hatched with four the next day. We now have 17 keets requiring attention at least four times a day - for the next six weeks!