2 gone missing

[jak2002003]

This morning 2 of my guinea fowl are missing. They always go around in group... so this is very strange.

I am thinking something got them in the night.......

But I can't see any feathers, and I did not hear any noise from them in the night.

If something climbed the tree to get them when they were roosting would they make noise?

Its strange how they just vanished... with no signs of a struggle. Also its strange that the predator got 2 at once.

 

[gguineasfamily]

They are probably sitting on eggs.

 

[jak2002003]

I wish that was the case.. They were too young.. not quite fully grown. Sad, they have not come back.. Something has eaten them for sure.

 

[ludwing]

How old are they? Are those females/males that are missing? Guineafowls sometimes are fools and can wander off and never found their way to return. If your guineas are more than 7 months they are somewhere hidden on the nest and will visit you for meal

best wishe's

 

[gguineasfamily]

Oh. Sorry to hear that

 

[jak2002003]

They are only about 4 months old.

They always stick together in a bunch.. and make a fuss if one strays away from the group.

I think something got the 2 of them when they were roosting in the tree at night. I suspect a snake. If it were a dog or other land based predator then I would think they would have made so much noise and also flew away.. and maybe only one would get caught.

Also I can see no feathers or evidence of a struggle... which I think I would find if dogs got them.

I always keep looking for them when I go out of the house around my area.. but I am sure they are no longer alive.

Just weird how they vanished into thin air. If I knew what happened I would know how to better protect my remaining ones.

 

[ludwing]

Some folk's give same details and same information about guineas when start laying they forget that either guineas came from variet species, so many guineas including from a wild type ( helmeted ) to domesticated ( pearl,lavender,) differ from one another.

4 months old guineas are young to start laying, most guinea hen's start laying aroung 8.5 months to 12 months old. Probably something had got them during the night, ( snakes are rare to prey on fully birds they most prefer keets,eggs ) night creatures like owls,bobcats may tear the flesh of guinea apart. Try to look around your expense or maybe something had spooked them, as that they are good fliers and can wander off while gliding especially at night.

Dont lure your self into a pathetic state, your guineas are still alive, the only thing that you may think your guineas are dead is that they will not know their way home and will wander far away day-by-day

best wishe's

 

[jak2002003]

It was dogs.

Just writing this moments after I saw one get killed and taken off by3 large dogs. The other birds flew up into a tree.

From my 7 I now only have 4.

I will have to re home them as I can't keep them safe. I tried to put them in the chicken run . coop, but they constantly attack my younger chickens.

I have now put them in a large dog crate.. but they hate it in there and are stressing out trying to get out.

Think this afternoon I will try and sell them to the pet shop.. or just give them away.

These dogs are the same ones that have tried to break into the chicken coop several times.. ripping the wire mesh from the sides.

We are saving money to get a wall around the entire property.. but at the moment we have mostly fencing.. which they always find a way through.

 

[mkeawsh]

So sorry to hear about your guineas. I started out with a dozen this past summer and ended up with 8 for the past 6 months. I brooded them in our living room and it was bizarre the way every once in a while one would fall right off the roost when it was sleeping. That has happened a couple times outside and the next morning, I will go out there and find one sleeping on the roof of one of the chicken tractors or on one of the bales of hay lining the outside of the tractors and chicken house. We have a family of red foxes that have taken and watched them take my favorite chicken but they seem to be freaked by the loudness of the guineas who hang out with the chickens all day every day. I have a Great Pyrenees that really deters most dogs, coyotes, foxes etc. from getting too near and considering getting a second GP because he can't be everywhere at one time. The guineas usually sleep way up in the tree almost to the top at night, so I have a flashing red light facing skyward because of all the owls here. Tonight, they decided to roost on one of the beams in our garage/barn. We keep one of the doors open just in case. I don't understand how they can sleep in the trees when it is snowing, sleeting, freezing rain or just raining. But they do. I wish they would always just go inside. It's cold outside tonight.