Dead Guinea

[langfordcr]

I have 3 month old chickens (6 hens, 1 rooster). I introduced 4 week old guineas to the coop about 4-5 days ago. The chickens did some dodging at the guinea at first but they've done pretty well together. They free range during the day, the chickens sleep in the coop at night and the guinea roost in the run. This morning I went to let them out and 4 of the 6 guinea were dead. The remaining 2 are bloody and ruffled but still walking around. Of the 4 dead, 1 is obliterated and it appears from something outside the coop, through the chicken wire. Two are missing heads. Could my chickens have killed them or is it something else? We have chicken wire buried around the exterior and no sign of entry.

 

[sourland]

Sorry for the circumstances. Predators will get birds flying around in the pen after dark and reach through the wire and kill them. I have had birds killed this way by both Great Horned Owls and raccoons. I doubt that your chickens killed the guinea fowl.

 

[langfordcr]

Thank you. After observing more closely we are pretty sure that's what happened. Each was on the perimeter of the run and there were feathers in the chicken wire. We think possibly raccoons but I know we also have owls out here. My husband thought is was best to cull the last two as they were pretty torn up.

 

[sourland]

My problem with owls was with ring neck pheasants. My pens were 8 ' tall but were covered with a large mesh wire. The owls would get the pheasants flying in the dark and grab their heads through the wire. I replaced with smaller mesh and solved that problem - then had trouble with snow in the winter.