October 30, 2009

Guinea Babies at Last!!

The most amazing thing happened this morning, something that will make you go "ohhh" and "ahhh" and "ohhh" again. It has given me thoughts of beautiful things, of nature, of motherhood and babies and will literally bring grown men to their knees. (Just ask our builder who helped me catch them!)


Our missing guinea fowl returned this morning (she has been away for nearly 2 weeks). We thought she was either taken by a fox or was sitting on a nest of eggs. Guess which one it is? Guess! Just guess!

I was out counting the guineas this morning and I noticed that our ninth missing girl was back. She hesitantly came out of the long grass followed by these:-


EIGHT STRIPY HEADED CUTE AS A BUTTON BABY GUINEA FOWL! By their size I would say they are only a day old. I can fit two in one hand.


I let them graze for the morning with the flock but decided to catch them and pop them in the cage with their mumma. This is what you have to do because they won't survive at this age free ranging - they would be eaten by a hungry snake, fox or hawk - whatever got to them first.



As The Hubbster was at work, our builder helped me catch them, which was hilarious and ridiculous at the same time. The flock shot off in the long grass followed by me with a hockey stick to ward away the cranky mumma bird, who was at this stage pissed off and trying to attack me.

I ran through the long grass with two babies in one hand, the hockey stick in the other and the builder laughing, waiting to take the guineas and pop them in the cage. I managed to catch seven babies and I let the other one find mumma bird and they grazed for the rest of the day - not straying far from the other babies.

I really hated taking them away from her, but in the end, mumma went into the cage and the babies nuzzled under her for the night. She was content.



I can't even explain how I feel about this. Well I'll try. It is the most amazingly, beautiful feeling to know that she brought her new babies home to us. They are so brand new, innocent and trusting and fluffy and gorgeous, and our guinea who we have had since she was 4 weeks old is now a mumma with her own babies. It's just nature at its glorious best, I suppose.

4 comments:

mayberry said...

SO SO SO cute! Those stripes!

Liz Mays said...

They are just darling!

Just Add Walter said...

oh my gosh they are too cute!! that is so neat!!

Fragrant Liar said...

Those are cutie patooties. :) What fun - as long as you don't have to clean up all the droppings, huh?