Two little chicksThe peeping armpit peeps, and having peeped, peeps on…
Our zoologist friend said one of the best things we could do to calm Bo was to put her inside a shirt so that she could absorb body warmth. D has thusly become designated Guinea Mother… And Bo once under the shirt has shown an inclination to head towards an armpit – from whence she peeps and peeps and peeps. Mind you, this only happens in the morning when she is desperate to be OUT!!! At night, she preens and falls asleep.
It’s been an interesting couple of days… and not without drama. I’m also wondering how it is that my blog has turned into a chronicle of guinea fowl tales and not much else. This is going to have to be rectified. But what with life revolving around a single guinea chick, article writing and manuscript editing it’s not like I have a lot to say anyway.
The guinea pig pen now lives permanently in the garden and is Bo’s “dayroom”, at night, she sleeps in the dog traveling cage. On Sunday, her family turned up again and so sweetly spent the day with her – first in the sunroom (!!!) and then out on the lawn, the chicks perching on top of the pen and mum hanging around nearby. It soothed Bo no end, but set her off something horrible each time they wandered off.
Guineas in the sunroom...
Bo's siblings are double her size...
A family visit - mum and siblingsAdditionally, Stroppy Old Fart and his missus turned up – and what a miserable pair they are. They harassed Bo something rotten and Mrs SOF insisted on trying to peck Bo through the bars of the pen. And so started the Great Guinea Fowl Chase as I proceeded to shoo the SOF’s away. First of all herding them around the pool and then running at them until they took off in a flurry of wings and screeches. Not that it stopped them; they just came back for more. Mr SOF had shoes flung at him and Mrs SOF was inspired to do a very impressive vertical take off when cornered at the edge of the pool by D and me. I suspect it might have been worthy of an Animal Capers award…
The Stroppy's harass Bo
Mrs StroppyYesterday Bo made a bid to escape - and succeeded. She’d woken up in a feisty mood and full of “views” and as D was putting her into the pen, she gave a mighty wriggle, fluttered from his hand and disappeared into the depths of the shrubbery, muttering “Ha!” and intent on not being caught. So we left her to it, wondering if her family would return (they didn’t), or whether the sparrowhawk would fly in for a quick snack (he didn’t). She spent the day pootling around the garden and periodically pretending to be a dove. The two guineas that appeared in the garden studiously ignored her. Come evening, we decided to try and catch her again to get her inside and finally cornered her amongst the mother in law’s tongues. I swear I heard her mutter “oh #@%$ it!” as I nabbed her. But it had clearly been a busy day because as soon as I put her under my shirt she went to sleep and once on top of Gilbert, aside from another “&%$#@ off!” she didn’t emerge until this morning.
Bo finds her wings(developmentally, she seems to be about three weeks behind her siblings, but what she lacks in size, she makes up for in spirit)
As I type this she is peeping in her indoor cage while the garden service tidy up the mess that has become the garden. Given that she still can’t fly properly, on the weekend D will make a bigger addition to slot alongside the guinea pig pen and Bo will have more room of her own. Tonight he plans to get her to fly - don't ask, I'm not. Let it not be said that we’re neglecting our guinea duties… I’m wondering, quite honestly, if any semblance of normality will ever return or whether I too will soon start ba-kaaking…
All together
32 comments:
Ah, more tales of the little folk – lovely stuff, Vanilla. I especially like the fact that Bo pretends to be a dove.
So glad she has visitors!
And Mrs SOF looks like a right harridan!
Hope you're making headway with the editing amidst all your 'fowl' duties:-)
It's lovely to read about Bo's adventures. So, her family is not too bad if they came to visit her...
:-)
Good for you. In natue, Bo would have been left to fend for himself. You have been a good mother.
These piccies are wonderful. I'm so glad that the family are coming for visits. Perhaps Mummy Peep recognises that you're taking good care of her. I love that she was bold enough to enter the sunroom to see her little Bo. (Although I do hope she didn't leave you any presents). It's very telling how little she is when viewed next to the rest of the clan!
The prickly plumage on Mrs Stroppy's neck is very Elizabeth 1!
it was bound to happen - first the sunroom, then the kitchen, the living room the bed room baaak baaak get baaaaaaack
(good luck with the rest of the relatives, surrogate mamma and best to the surrogate armpit - oops, sorry, surrogate....ah...)
It's a bit worrying that she pretends to be a dove, MD, 'cos they're really not very bright! ;-)
Mrs SOF is a right harridan, Lane, a brazen hussy of the worst sort, a young bird with far too much attitude. She and I may come to blows yet, my shoe to her bum!
And no, the editing is struggling, but I've at least managed some articles.
We-ell, I don't think they're too bad, Vesper, but guinea fowl are notoriously hopeless parents. With domesticated guineas they often have to get chickens to hatch the eggs and rear the chicks...
In nature, I very much doubt Bo would have survived, Gail. But thanks for the vote of confidence - I don't think Bo agrees though!
Funnily enough, Janey, I do think Mama Guinea knows her baby is not in any danger. And I regret to say that both Mama and Papa Guinea left their calling cards in the sunroom. Sigh.
LOL! Yes, RLB, it is indeed feeling like an invasion! And there is far too much surrogacy stuff going on!
Well for me that day caused as much stress as I receive in a year. It is good that your day was exciting without drama. I hate drama.
I think being the Guinea Foul recorder is just fab.... love reading about them and seeing the pics.
Amazing to think you've got mother-in- laws tongues growing in your garden. I've been growing one as a houseplant for 2 years now and it hardly grows at all!
It seems you both have maternal/paternal instincts after all! I'd love to be a fly on the wall watching you scuttling round the back yard trying to catch a tiny ball of fluff! Good ol D for keeping the peep warm and I don't envy the poo in your sunroom! Loving the guinea chronicals actually . . .although how's he going to teach her to fly *flaps around living room -singing lookie meeeeee*
I'm not much keen on drama either, Ropi.
So glad you're enjoying the guinea fowl tales, FireByrd! The mother in laws tongues grow in the most unlikely and harsh parts of the garden where pretty much nothing else will grow - shady and dry - and they grown like weeds. Though I remember my gran also used to grown them indoors.
Oh yeah, no shortage of maternal/paternal instincts here, Baino though in my case they only seem to work in the animal kingdom! ;-) Ah, guinea pooh isn't too bad, cleans up easily, so long as it doesn't go on the carpets, and provided they haven't eaten anything that gives them the trots... Oh my, where is the comment going!
As for the flying lesson, took place in the passage and involved Bo perching on D's finger and being raised up and down and sort of tossed off when the finger got close to the ground resulting in her doing some flapping and pretending she could fly. More of the same tomorrow I guess. :-)
actually I had no idea about the shirt, very interesting way to calm her down
So very intriguing! And I love the Old Fart! I have to admit to loving your nature posts!
Ever thought about a childrens book?
Haven't been to your blog for a while so this is a real treat. Boo to the Stroppies. I agree with Minx - a children's book with photographs would be great (and for adults too!)
It seems to work very effectively, Rambler.
Well, I do not love Old Fart, Ello, he is mean and nasty and just plain cantankerous. Just cos he's got the biggest comb of them all - ha!
Yeah, all the time, Minx, just not on this topic - though it did sort of idly cross my mind on the weekend...
Yep, I agree, Sarah, boo to the Stoppy's! As for a children's book, well, maybe... the idea is in there now it just has to compost for a while... ;-)
You said, "I’m wondering, quite honestly, if any semblance of normality will ever return or whether I too will soon start ba-kaaking…"
Oh, Atyllah will be so pleased that somebirdy is teaching you well.
As for the children's book? I give it two thumbs up!
I admit I enjoy reading your adventures in GuineaLand much more than the my morning newspaper these days! At least you can know AV that you start my day with a smile,
warmly,
lori
i love hearing about bo!
even if on the surface, you are writing about chicks, you are writing about more....
the fight of the underdog
the struggle to survive
love
true charity
the threats that surround us all
i look forward to read about how she is doing. grow well little bo.
storm
Feisty but DARLING. Much better neighbors than most. : )
I like them only in theatres. :D
I confess, Bonnie, that I am deeply concerned that as opposed to just messing with my head with her telepathic snarkiness, that Madame Atyllah is going to surprise me with a real life visit to ensure I'm "doing the right thing". Shudder!
I am getting the sense, Lori from all that comments that the guinea chronicles are going down better than expected. Perhaps I'll just have to keep at it. ;-)
Aw, that's such a sweet thing to say, thank you, Storm! xxx
Yep, pretty feisty, Susan, not without her views - and plenty of spirit.
Frankly, I can do without them even in theatres, Ropi :-)
Well, I don't know, Guinea Fowl ... could do a lot worse! All we need in the web cam now.
Word veri - untrapp, I kid you not.
Minx took the words right out of my mouth!
You really should write a children's book about the peeps.
Bo could tell the story in diary form!
Love the one of Bo stretching his/her wings. Hope the flight training is successful!
Hi! still enjoying all the guinea fowl updates over here...
by the way, i tagged you for a bookish meme! hope you feel like doing it...I really enjoyed it!
:-)
We're thinking we might add a couple of Fluffy Bantams to the mix, Ernest, you know, just so the garden can be really well composted...
Word veri's have been really weird lately.
I'll have to think about it Pat, the younger age group isn't where I'd usually aim - perhaps Bo as a graphic novel might do it though! ;-)
I think the training flight was successful, Megan - though not at the time. Bo was far more intent on clinging on to a finger!
Glad you're still enjoying all things fowl, Karen, and yep, I'll do the meme, though I have to wrack my brains a bit... I mean, just four? :-P
I found a Palotás video. I am on that. It is a bit crappy so I am looking for better versions.
I love the photo of Mrs. Stroppy. So are you able to spend time writing, other than your blog? I have to find time.
Went and watched your Palotas video, Ropi - thanks for sharing it!
It's a constant challenge, Gutsy Writer, blogging can often take up far too much time - one has to be pretty disciplined! :-)
I think the Guinea Fowl Tales are very entertaining! I look forward to every instalment LD
You should have a webcam - I would be an avid viewer :D
can i ask a totally geeky question? what camera do you use?
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