Had the 1st casualty this week. A 4 week old baby died. I've never lost a rabbit to the heat before. At least it wasn't one of the more valuable kits.
Yesterday, I moved all the does and litters out to the Summer House except one. King's K10 is still inside because her litter is barely 3 weeks old. She's in the lowest tier at the end near the window, and now has the fan all to herself. I took the nestbox out earlier this week to give her some room to stretch out. I worried I'd lose the kits if they stayed in it. They have a resting board in place of the box. I'll move them outside in another week.
It's sad the the only litter that really matters to me is Taleah's. And the otter she's fostering. K's litter is 2nd in that I want to see the type she throws, even though the brokens aren't exciting for pattern. Infinite Detail's solid black is a maybe. Other than that....all pet quality.
I was going to breed some does but the heat made me back off. I decided to let it go for now. It's just too hot. I have a few litters due in 2 weeks, and not sure how to handle it. The cages outside aren't set up for nestboxes. The doors aren't big enough to get one in there. I do have the 3 larger cages I set up as holding cages for weanlings, but they don't have rodent and snake proof wire like the rest. Keeping my fingers crossed that it does cool off by then.
In guinea news:
Pictures!
These are the 2 "wild" keets and their parents. Now about 3 weeks old. I'm amazed they are still out there. The parents are bringing them to the feeding station now. I toss out the cracked corn/bird seed mix for them and the others. I was doubly amazed to discover the keets can get up on the roost the adults use. It's a wood rack I built for them under the carport outside where the rabbits are. The rig is almost 5' tall! Have no idea how they get up there. Looking at the situation last night, I think they use the wheelbarrow that's there as a jumping off point. Considering the keets are so small and have no flight feathers yet, that's a pretty good trick.
These are the older NC pieds. About 10-12 weeks old...I forget. Cogburn is so happy to have a "flock" again. There is a bit of bickering at the feeding station between the 2 groups. I toss seed out in 2 different place to give them some peace. 
This old converted rabbit cage holds the 17 (same 2nd clutch as the 2 free-range keets) I hatched in the incubator. Plus the singleton from the 1st clutch that's about 3 weeks older. This cage works pretty well until they are big enough to turn loose in the Summer House. I just move it around to give them cleaner ground, and rake out under it as needed. It also saves on feed. They throw it all over and can pick it off the ground.
I picked out 4 of the bigger ones that I'll be keeping and turned them loose yesterday. I have at least 1 order for 6, and a tentative order for 4 to deliver at the Taylorsville show next weekend. I'll take all 14 with me and maybe be able to sell the other 4 as well. I won't be turning those loose. It will be too hard to catch them when it comes time to load up for the show, so they'll stay in the cage until then.
This was taken earlier this spring. This turkey strolls into the yard sometimes and the guineas dash out to greet her. It's a funny thing to watch. The guineas are good-sized birds but the turkey looks like a dinosaur towering over them. After the initial meet & greet, they lose interest in each other. Probably because they don't speak the same language.I fear I may have lost something this morning. I heard the guinea's distress call (not the loud alarm call) that I heard when the cat got one of the keets a couple weeks ago. It was still dark and I don't know why the guinea would have moved off the roost at this time. I hope it wasn't a keet. I also turned out a couple garden bunnies yesterday and the one cat might take them. That would be Abby, the younger one, who hunts birds and other things. Stevie has never bothered garden bunnies and doesn't actively hunt birds. I could live without Abby.
tnt
