Chick Update. They're about 3.5 weeks old and they are huge! We will have to move them soon, out of the brooder and into a kennel in an unheated room to acclimate them to life outdoors.
We'll begin collecting fertile eggs to incubate for Late winter babies, then likely slaughter the rooster...hate to do it, he's a sweet heart.
We've been having some competition issues with the rooster and a guinea cock. The wilder guinea runs circles around the big, slow, domestic rooster and nearly took out an eye. We've separated them but it's difficult in the cold winter when the birds have a smaller area to live. Once the rooster contributes some fertile eggs he will make a decent meat bird as he's big and young. The guinea is over three years old and not much bird to eat. He's more valuable as tick control come spring.
Sometimes I really hate making these life and death decisions...and doing the deeds, but at least all our animals have a great life while they are here and we make every effort to spare them stress at the end as well.
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