We purchased some Guenias because they are suppose to be awesome at eating bugs. Right now they are in a dog crate in my kitchen because they are so small. They've proved to be quite entertaining as well as educational. For instance, the Royal Offspring are learning about survival of the fittest...
The keets are big enough to eat small grasshoppers so it has become a great game to catch little defenseless bugs and drop them into the cage. It quickly became apparent that speed was a factor in survival as the fast bird almost always ended up with the grasshopper. So yes! There is truth to the old saying the early bird gets the worm. We also determined that strength was a factor as we watched the biggest bird step on the fastest bird and take the prize.
It didn't take long before the justice loving Royal Offspring were crying foul (pun intended) and trying to come up with a plan to ensure that all the birds got a grasshopper. So, brainstorming ensued.
They came up with a theory that if they could teach the birds to eat from their hands, then they could decide who gets what grasshopper. The dilemma being that every time someone approaches the cage, the birds all run for the far corner. So they caught another bug, stuck it head through the wire and sure enough, the fastest bird came over and plucked the grasshopper from the King's hand. After a few tries, all the larger birds were coming to the side of the cage to take a grasshopper. Plan was good...or was it?
You see, the Queen, after many years experience in cleaning up more poop than she cares to remember, is the designated crate cleaner. So, now every time the Queen wishes to open the door to clean the crate or refresh their water, she is mobbed by grasshopper craving keets, who are not very happy to see her empty-handed. Apparently these birds are smart enough to learn to come to the side when a person approaches, but not smart enough to tell the difference between Royal Offspring and the Queen who does not touch grasshoppers. The Queen is working on a plan to teach the birds to recognize she is there only to shovel waste, not hand out bug treats...all suggestions welcome. :)
