Finely loading the balance of mother nature

OK, so the donkeys like our dogs - check.
Our dogs like our donkeys - check.
Our donkeys like chickens - check.
Our dogs don't care about chickens - check.
Our cats like our chickens - check.
Donkeys don't believe in cats.
Our dogs love our cats - check.
The cat love dog thing is an individual thing that is well managed by the parties involved - check.
The chooker moles don't give a shit about anyone - check.

So, I think I've possibly gone one step too far... keets.

Day 1 they're so small, not much bigger than a large chicken egg

Day 2 and the cats have worked out that there's something moving and cheeping in a box in THEIR garage that they aren't allowed in any more. Not happy!

This could all go pear shaped very quickly...

But if they make it through the first few weeks, they'll be able to move into an outdoor pen and then will be big and ugly enough to look after themselves at about 6 weeks.

Day 4 and they've grown heaps - can even jump about 20 cm

Anthony and Angela, friends of ours, had 19 hatch on Monday. The previous clutch didn't make it (it's tough love in the wild around Clear Mountain) and so he bought them inside as soon as he could. I took 5 and the others have all gone to good homes as well. We got to know Anthony and Angela when they bought their house off another friend, Joan. Joan used to own the parents and left them there for the A's when she moved. She is now a grandmother and is adopting some of these guys for her new farm.

Looks like a penguin

I have never raised birds before, let alone Guinea Fowl but I hope they will become great snake detractors and help minimise the ticks for the Dogues in coming years.

And eat... (I didn't believe someone when they told me to buy a 20kg bag of food for them)

So, the A's, Joan and I are madly searching Google and blogs to find out how best to raise these little balls of fluff.

Here's hoping it's a successful project.