The Secrete Life of Guineas
by Margaret Byrd on 04/10/15
The Secret Life of Guineas
I love my little baby paducks. That's what their noise sounds like to me. I can call them "Paduck, Paduck, Puduck" and they'll come running even taking off flying to get to me quicker. I hatched them in an incubator and as I pressed my face to the glass to watch the miracle unfold one of them ran over and looked me straight in the eye when it popped out of its shell. I knew right then we were imprinted on one another.
They all look alike. It is hard to decide who's the guy and who's the hen but subtle differences are unfolding.
I didnt' have a camera on the day one flew up on the roof and began calling in a loud shrill voice that I associate with a male. It is a kind of "rattattattatat" noise. A kind of come here song or perhaps it is a staking of territory.
As he stood on the roof of the house making this strange noise I noticed he stood straight up and made himself elongated. Usually they are wandering around positioned like the one in the window above - bent over like an old person with head conveniently located to find all those ticks I want them to eat. But not today, this fellow was standing straight and tall like a penguin. rattattatttat ringing out in a loud declaration of his superiority. I hear ya man!
I had noticed for some time that the guineas were going into a low area in the pasture behind the little Civil War cemetery. I suspected something was up but I couldn't follow them quickly enough to figure out what they were about until yesterday. Rattattattat rang out from the pasture. I looked over and there was the braggart with two hens. Didn't he usually hang with 3? I walked straight over keeping an eye on the spot till I came to the depression. There hidden in the grass is a hen sitting on a nest with about 30 guinea eggs. I gather all but one and carried them to the house.
I floated them, discarded some and the best ones I added to the incubator already running. In about a week I'll check to see if any are fertile or not.
Their secrets are unfolding.
