I am not a country girl. I was raised in towns and on military bases. I have never been in 4-H and I have never raised poultry. Our pets were limited to fish, one bird, cats, and dogs.
But now we have guinea keets. And even though Steve did live on a farm for part of his childhood, and did raise poultry, and was in 4-H ... they have been my job. I researched what we needed to start keets or chicks. I picked them out, and captured them in the store. I released them into their little tote when we got home. A week later, I moved them into a larger tote. I've fed and watered them daily. And when they outgrew the larger tote, I moved them into the built-in cage on the basement wall that had once been a dog kennel. I even caught the escaped keet two days later (still not sure how he escaped) and put him back.
But now it's time to move them outside. It's a little past time, to be honest, but we were warned that owls would snatch them up if we didn't give them some protection outside for awhile longer. So, we've been waiting to finish a fenced (and covered) area for them to be safely moved to.
And every day when I go down to feed them, I wonder how in the world I'm supposed to catch these guinea keets to move them outside. They're fast! And they fly!! And they're in a cage that starts at my waist, and goes up to the ceiling!! I'm not that tall, and I have a baby belly that comes between me and the cage anyway. And I'm not a farm girl. I've never captured or held a full-grown chicken or guinea (although these are only half grown) before.
Suddenly our cool built-in cage is looking less cool. Maybe that wasn't such a great idea after all. Maybe we really should have moved those poor tiny defenseless keets outside a little earlier.
I can just imagine half-grown guineas flying in my face, escaping into the basement, and never making it outside at all!! How did *I* end up with this job?!?!
And yet, it's my job. I don't want to wimp out on Steve and demand that he do it. I really do want to try. So, sometime this weekend, we'll be moving them outside. I think I need some prayer ... and any tips you might have.
We are a Christian homeschooling family with 7 children (ages 13, 12, 10, 8, 5, 3, and 9 months). We love having "room to breathe" in rural Central Kansas, and are working to make the "family homeplace" our own home.
• Steve 36 yo hubby
• April 35 yo SAHM
• A - 13 yo girl
• R - 12 yo girl
• C - 10 yo girl
• J - 8 yo boy
• M - 5 yo boy
• L - 3 yo girl
• G - 8 month boy
