We have 16 good sized keets (they tower over the mason jar feeder) that are 4 weeks old. We started putting them in the guinnea coop during the day. They absolutely love the new playground. I started putting them in with the 3 larger guinneas, their parents and Buddy. Last night the pair went in the coop, but Buddy was on top of the coop and did not want to go in. I went out and coaxed him in and closed up the coop. The little ones went in with them and seemed to be doing fine.
This morning I opened the door to let the big guinneas out and Buddy was down with the little ones. I found a dead baby, so I scolded Buddy and got him out. I got the pair out also. I gathered up the keets and only found 12 who were very willing to let me pick them up, which is quite unusual.
I started to look for the other 3 bodies. Up in the corner I saw something behind the boxes of feed. I moved the boxes and it was a black snake.
I had the pet carrier near the coop and gathered up the 12 keets. Put the two bodies to the side and got my husband and his 410.
Apparently Buddy knew the snake was in there last night. I have never seen him on the ground in the morning. He seems to be my alert bird. I don't know if he was protecting the babies or might have killed a couple in the dark trying to defend them. They don't see very well at night. The snake had at least one keet inside when we found him.
We will be keeping the keets inside for another month now, but let them out during the day.
The coop is built out of pro-panel, but has a dirt floor where a snake can crawl under. I put moth balls around the outside of the house, but I guess that didn't work.
My husband has never let me kill the good snakes, but now there is an all out war on all snakes. We have lost a dog to a pygmy rattlesnake, although she killed it. Lost a dozen eggs to a black snake. Now 4 keets too. The dogs have survived several copperhead bites, but they are on the list too. In the past we have only had problems with the pygmy and copperheads, now big black snakes are showing up everywhere.
This morning I opened the door to let the big guinneas out and Buddy was down with the little ones. I found a dead baby, so I scolded Buddy and got him out. I got the pair out also. I gathered up the keets and only found 12 who were very willing to let me pick them up, which is quite unusual.
I started to look for the other 3 bodies. Up in the corner I saw something behind the boxes of feed. I moved the boxes and it was a black snake.
I had the pet carrier near the coop and gathered up the 12 keets. Put the two bodies to the side and got my husband and his 410.
Apparently Buddy knew the snake was in there last night. I have never seen him on the ground in the morning. He seems to be my alert bird. I don't know if he was protecting the babies or might have killed a couple in the dark trying to defend them. They don't see very well at night. The snake had at least one keet inside when we found him.
We will be keeping the keets inside for another month now, but let them out during the day.
The coop is built out of pro-panel, but has a dirt floor where a snake can crawl under. I put moth balls around the outside of the house, but I guess that didn't work.
My husband has never let me kill the good snakes, but now there is an all out war on all snakes. We have lost a dog to a pygmy rattlesnake, although she killed it. Lost a dozen eggs to a black snake. Now 4 keets too. The dogs have survived several copperhead bites, but they are on the list too. In the past we have only had problems with the pygmy and copperheads, now big black snakes are showing up everywhere.
