QT Guinea Fowls

10/01/2024

🔴🔴🔴Wet weather advice 🌧🌧🌧🔴🔴🔴

With the prediction of wet weather forecasted in the coming days.
Please make sure any young keets have a well kept dry area to get out of the rain, mud and wind.

No matter how acclimatised you think they are!
They are still babies.

These little guys chill so so easily. Once they get a chill, it's almost always fatal if not warmed up under heat lamps.
They can be a fresh day old or 4 weeks old. Once they catch a chill from being continuously wet and cold they respond the same. They go hypothermic and recovery from this is not always successful.

🔴Perches are ideal, but they need dry ground to keep their food and water clean aswel.

🔴Keep their food up to them, don't let them have too long on empty crops.

🔴Keep it clean.
Bacteria spreads like wild fire in damp, contaminated ground.

Keep an eye out for any signs of chill or sickness.
Which can be hard to decipher sometimes as they have similar symptoms.
Droopy wings, lethargy etc.

If once the keets are warm and dry, after 24hrs they still act lethargic. You need to treat for sickness. Generally it will be coccidiosis.

Simple things like a tarp around their cage and a pile of dirt with bricks layered on top as a platform in the driest corner.
Can be the difference between life and death in damp weather for these little guys.

Thankyou🌻

10/01/2024

Hows everyone's 10pm going?
Mine unfortunately ended up wet footed.
A bit more rain than expected (totally not ungrateful for BTW)
Meant night time raid of a setting hens low lying nest.
Another hr or so and she will need webbed feet herself.

Upon candling, all of these are viable. With a few starting to position to pip. Atleast they will hatch dry in this and not need to be part duck out there.
🌧

03/01/2024

Of all the Christmas gifts to receive, nothing beats hand made.

A pretty little guinea fowl made from my young daughters new air dry clay kit.

23/12/2023

Little bubbas have been promoted to the "keetagers" pen.
More room to roam, perches to fly to. Just like any baby, human or animal- stimulation is always needed.
This sand tray usually has meal worms for them to forage through, but my own mistake I forgot to restock them this week. So mixed seeds it is. Not a food source, more an encouragement to scratch and search.

Something as simple as this helps w**d out any aggressive behaviour that may stem from boredom for example feather picking (new flight feathers coming in, targeted by the bigger ones)

18/12/2023

Not a care in the world at this age, little cuties.

All hatchings this season are from free ranging flocks. It makes its a bit like: "a box of chocolates, never know what your going to get"
Brings a little excitement back into it I find🥰😅

09/12/2023

First batch out successfully.
One here is not like the other🫣😅
Sneaky surrogate mum laid one of her own in the clutch.

Those waiting, 3-4 weeks from now will be contacted 😊 around new yrs.

Second round has been set, hatching due around 7th Jan.

13/11/2023

Good afternoon everyone,
Just a season update, late I know but this season has been a real woozy of out of wackyness

Any how, update:
Some eggs have just been set under some clunky hens.
At this stage the incubator may not be fired up due to some other commitments this season.
So the availability will be small I'm afraid.

🔴I had a major technical issue last season with messenger, and have had some messages lost. These people have again reached out, so changes in that regard.
This is the last season I will be formally forfilling those "lost orders".

I will be contacting those iv found were included in the messenger error and let them have first choice of this seasons first hatch.
Anything following that will be posted as available, for first in first served.
Collection must be within a few days of confirmation. I will aim to post availability prior to weekends, for those within working hours who cannot collect till then.

🔴Along with this issue I had quiet a few no shows! On the day of collection cancellations and all other manner of excuses after already holding birds for many days.

I try to be as flexible as possible for people and their schedules and understanding of the spanners life throws at people.
However I'm afraid I can no longer afford to allow this flexibility as I once did.

As I have ended up holding birds for people who finally in the end do not show up.

I appreciate everyone who enjoys these Quirky Turkey's. I wish to have their enrichment in their life and hope to still provide people with that opportunity. But I'm afraid these changes must occur for my own sanity and patience to continue this passion.

🌻Thankyou for your understanding.

19/05/2023

A quick peek at the some of feed bags that the youngsters go through in hatching season.
🥚 🐣 🐥

13/05/2023

Happy mothers day to everyone 💗 💖

This beautiful set of mothers were bred here on the farm, but.....this past season. These little ladies themselves having been hatched in December 2022.
Such an instinctual drive to be mothers, already setting a clutch of eggs. Granted non may hatch, due to fertility at this age. Having such young hens lay is not what the aim is as its not ideal for any breed of poultry. But that they have proven that they have the instinctual want to brood, that iv diligently tried to retain in the bloodlines over the years.

The lovely lady they went to has given permission for their image to be shared.

08/05/2023

Well that's a little bit cute❤️❤️❤️

19/04/2023

One of these doesn't belong!
Can you guess who🤭
But don't tell her that. A lone hatchling who imprinted on a guinea fowl...
This farm really is full of Quirky Turkey's, of all varieties 🥰

19/04/2023

Who knew🤷‍♀️ trampolines are good for guinea fowl, as well as kids😊😆

02/04/2023

Such a versatile little bird the guinea fowl.

Guinea egg, compared to the chicken eggs.
(Bottom left is GF)
Flavour/texture is the same to me, size Is a little smaller but the only noticeable difference is in the shell...takes a bit more force to crack them open.

29/03/2023

How quiet is too quiet🤦‍♀️
This little choice choccy made mowing take far too long....apparently the best bugs come out from the front.

18/03/2023

Cinnamon and peach differences...
The feathers, peach have a lovely peachy hone to them that they never lose.
If kept in shaded areas without sun bleaching they still have a nice peachy colouring though a bit darker.

Where as Cinnamons develop darker like chocolates. But the difference from chocolates is the red eyes and a pinky hone to their necks. Once they are out in full sun and the sun bleaches their feather, they get that nice light distinct colouring.

Peaches they get a brighter orange/peach colour.

This little peachy is a female and the cinnamon I suspect is a male.

25/02/2023

Many people wonder if guinea fowl can be pets....
Well, yes they can.
I follow a little guy called Scoot.

https://www.facebook.com/theadventuresofscoot?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Amazing little creatures❤️

Meet Scoot, an adventurous young guinea who’s out to change misconceptions and promote breed aware

21/02/2023

https://mewe.com/join/qtguineafowls

Hi everyone, iv started a mewe page as a back up. Feel free to follow over there also.
Fb will remain the main page for now, but as they say. Never put all your eggs in one basket..

I'm not too sure how mewe operates, but sure to learn when the time comes. So forgive any mistakes or delay if using that platform to contact.

Thankyou🌻

Located in Woodstock, just out of Townsville Qld, Australia. Breeder of Guinea Fowls.

13/02/2023

Following on the coop envy post.
A suggestion has come through. Would anyone be will to post their coops in the comment thread, to give people ideas or even just more coop envy?🥰

Any ideas or tricks you may have thought of to ensure an enriching and homey environment for the little Quirky Turkey's.

Feel free to share, or just stalk the comments...😉 we all do😊

13/02/2023

Talk about coop envy!!
This lovely pair of chocolates headed south today, all the way to Proserpine.
A long trip and well worth it....in to heaven it looks like❤️

Might need to renovate my own cages with a bit more decor I think🤔.

(Shared with permission of owner and a lovely lady she is to deal with)

03/02/2023

Might make it a bit easier for meet ups....
Look for the guinea fowl stickers😉

Yes I know one is crooked...once it stuck, it was staying stuck😆😆😆

30/01/2023

As the season draws to an ending, it gives me time to sort out some neglected pens.
This one has served as the kids play house for the past season....
A fresh layer of flooring and reattached perches has brought it back from its chaos to being my keepers grow out cage.

The little keetagers loving the new wing room.

30/01/2023

Not available ❗️❗️❗️

Remember the post of a young red eyed keet hatched, waited to see if it would develop as a cinnamon or peach?

Well confirmed as a little peach. Having developed into the bright peach hue of feathers.
I suspect this is a lovely little lady, but have yet to hear her call.

Thankyou 🌻

21/01/2023

19/01/2023

How did everyone fair in the past weeks rain system?
🌧 ☔️ ⛈️ 🌧 ☔️ ⛈️

In this wet weather, alot of things come up that are not usually an issue.
One that is most commonly occurring.
Coccidiosis.
This nasty little parasite loves damp environments...
Its found in feacal matter of nearly all animals.

For poultry species mainly, feacal matter ends up on the wings/feathers of bird.
Whilst roaming around on muddy/damp ground and the bird in its feather preening will ingest it.

Symptoms include but not limited to: lethargy, not eating, droopy composure, ruffled puffed looking feathers,
Blood or watery diarrhea.

Treatment: methods i use is amprollium....or my favourite is Baycox coccidate, which basically knocks it on the head as a cure.

Prevention: amprollium falls under this aswel, but drying the environment. Coops do well with a layer good layer of hay...its absorbs most dampness ( not so much in our excess wet weather but it helps seperate the feacal matter/mud to a degree) and can be cleaned out and replaced with dry material.
Foods treated with coccidate medications, like chick starter. (Which I believe are treated with amprollium, correct me if I'm wrong😊)

Unfortunately, between worm parasites and coccidiosis there isn't too many tell tale differences. So my methods of attack depend on the environment.
Hot/dry, I would attack worm parasites first. Eg using a wormer like kilverm.
Wet/damp, I would attack coccidiosis.

Now not all all symptoms lean to these two issues. But they are usually the leading problems I have found over the years.
Thankyou🌻

19/01/2023

By a guinea fowl....yes a guinea fowl 😆

13/01/2023

Not Gf related, but this is what happens when a chicken adopts a child🤦‍♀️
Meet princess cheep cheep 👑

10/01/2023

This dedicated mum has decided that 2 clutches isn't enough this season.
She hatched out not only her own species, sneakily unbeknownst to me 🐣🤦‍♀️
But a clutch of keets aswel.
After that last hatch I assumed she was finished....
Only to find her setting on the bales, well dedication deserves a reward.
More keets for this lovely mumma, so far a choccy, ivory and finally the pearls and lavenders.
Iv had to barricade the nest given the bit of a drop off that she chose to nest next to.
Thankyou 🌻

10/01/2023

Do hens share nests?.....well yes they do.❤️
These lovely ladies both rotate days of sitting and well basically share it entirely.

I retain only hens who have that instinct to not only lay, but to set the eggs. Yes I incubate, but nothing beats a setting hen, she can create the ideal environment for her eggs every single time!
These girls are docile enough for me to physically candle their eggs and refuse to budge.
Its a war zone attempting it, amount of pecks to dodge.😆

Why do I retain docile hens?
Well it's a personal choice. But I like to be able to handle my birds when need be, especially if there are health concerns.

So for me, breeding quiet birds, equals quieter keets. I have many ppl return stories to me of their new keets coming in so inquisitively and are not frightened at all.

On the smaller acerage blocks that some of my keets go to, this ensures the guinea fowls come home and or stay near the home. They love that human interaction.
So for me, that's a win.

Thankyou🌻

08/01/2023

A lovely little box of chocolates.

03/01/2023

Hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and New Years.
I want to thankyou all, again for supporting me over the last few months.
You all make my passion a reality, to grow these Quirky Turkey's, to share them with their traits and personality with you.
You all make it worthwhile. ❤️🌻❤️

Wishing everyone good fortune and good luck into 2023

Thankyou🌻

Side note
When you didn't think there were anymore, some lovely Christmas presents from both my MIl and SIL.

Atleast it's not ducks I tell my husband, atleast its not ducks🦆