Baby Chickens, Baby Guinea Fowl, and Baby Peafowl
It’s always so exciting whenever we have babies here at the farm. Inside my stable feed room we currently have three peachicks, two chicks, and five keets, plus more youngsters in an outdoor enclosure.
I’ve been raising chickens and other fowl for quite some time. I love keeping chickens for their fresh, delicious eggs, but I also enjoy raising other birds and learning about the different breeds and varieties. Earlier this week, five keets and a peachick hatched in my kitchen where I keep a small incubator specially designed for eggs. My friend, Christopher Spitzmiller, also gifted me with two Burford bronze peachicks, eight young Buff Orpingtons, and four lavender Araucanas. They will all be great additions to my flock.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
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- Whenever we’re expecting baby birds here at the farm, my stable manager, Helen, who is very experienced in raising chickens, sets up my large bird cages with bedding, feeders, and proper heating elements. These cages are located in the feed room of my stable.
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- The feeders are filled with organic chick starter for the first six to eight weeks.
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- This feed is kept wet, so it is more palatable for the babies.
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- A heat lamp is placed into the cage to keep it warm – chicks less than a month old do best in temperatures around 80 to 85-degrees Fahrenheit.
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- Helen adds wood shavings for strong footing. It is important that growing chicks don’t slip. Slippery surfaces are the most common cause of spraddle leg – a condition where the chick essentially does splits and has difficulty walking or getting up.
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- And here they are. In this photo – a baby lavender Araucana chick and a baby Burford bronze peachick. Baby chicks need constant monitoring until they are at least four or five weeks old. Here in the Stable feed room, they are checked several times a day. This room is also free from drafts.
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- Burford bronze peafowl are bred from a color mutation. The origins of this breed date from the 1980s when they were developed by Burford Abbott of Marysville, Tennessee. Full grown, the males will have stunning dark olive green iridescent necks and dark iridescent bronze trains with touches of copper. These two peachicks from my friend Christopher hatched within hours of each other, which is good so they are not lonely.
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- Here, one can see the markings on the peachick – already so beautiful. Peachicks, or baby peafowl, are difficult to sex until they’ve reached roughly five months of age, when more of their physical characteristics are visible.
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- This is a lavender Araucana. Araucana chicks are strong, fast growers and mature quickly. This one is also quite curious. All these chicks have clear eyes and are very alert – signs of good health.
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- These chicks are also from Christopher. They are light gray in appearance.
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- These chicks all get along wonderfully and are already learning to roost together.
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- This yellow peachick hatched in my Winter House kitchen. And because it was raised around humans from the moment it hatched, it is very interested in people and just wants to greet everyone who comes in to visit.
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- It wasn’t long before the peachick came up close to say hello.
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- And here is one of the beautiful baby Guinea fowl, also known as a keet. Guinea fowl keets are cute, chirpy, curious and somewhat clumsy at first. This one will mature to a dark gray color with tiny white spots. Enma holds it up for a photo before placing it in the cage.
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- This one will be a lighter gray in color when full grown. Right now, these keets are nothing short of adorable.
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- It is very difficult to sex Guinea fowl. The best way to tell males from females is by their cry. When they’re older, the female Guineas will make a two-syllable call that sounds something like “buckwheat, buckwheat”. Males can only make a one-syllable sound similar to “kickkkkk kickkkkk”. The males also have larger gills or wattles.
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- Guinea fowl enjoy being with their own kind and will always maintain their own social groups even when integrated into the coop with the other chickens and geese. And do you know what a group of Guinea fowl is called? The collective noun for guinea fowl is “confusion” or “rasp.”
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- I’ve raised many different chicken breeds and varieties over the years – they are all so fun to observe. These gold colored chicks are Buff Orpington chickens. Introduced from England in the late 1800s, they became one of the most popular farm fowls in this country. It is also Christopher’s favorite chicken breed. These birds will grow to be large and stately with quiet, friendly dispositions.
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- These birds are a bit older than the others and are residing in an outdoor coop. Every chick is personally shown where their food and water sources are, so they know where to find it. All my chicks get a balanced diet of medicated chick crumb with some treats and fresh greens from my gardens.
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- At first the chicks are a bit unsure of their surroundings, huddling together in one corner.
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- But after a few minutes, they’re eager to explore the space. A slightly older lavender Araucana perches on the water container while the young Buff Orpington watches nearby – maybe he’s hoping for a perching spot too.
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- These young chickens will stay together for several weeks. And then, once the chickens are old enough, they will be moved down to the first coop in the chicken yard to join the others.
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- Right now, they’ll share their space with my stunning Silkies. I wonder what the Silkies are thinking about their new friends. If you’re unfamiliar with Silkies, underneath all that feathering, they have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot. Silkie chickens are known for their characteristically fluffy plumage said to feel silk- or satin-like to the touch. I think they’ll all be very happy here at Cantitoe Corners.
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