Entire Guinea flock missing

[mkcolls]

Our friends eleven 1-2 year old guineas are gone.

They free range during the day, return to their nighttime converted dog-run coop every night. They have feed and water in their coop and come up to their house for guinea crack (millet) every evening. Last Friday none returned to the coop.

Our friends searched their 29 acres on foot and on ATV as well as adjoining fields looking for birds, eggs, nests, or evidence of predator. They notified their neighbors. They didn't find anything. No bodies, no feathers, no eggs, no partial remains.

On Monday one bird returned to the nighttime coop and stayed for one night and part of the morning. That one has not been seen since Tuesday.

Has anyone had heard of guineas doing this?

We have five 3-year old guineas and have had guinea hens stay on nests for days, but always on or within sight of our property and always visited by the other guineas a couple of times a day. But they never completely disappeared for days.

Suggestions or help, please.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Hello:

In the spring sometimes the flock will "chase" a feeding insect find. I have had my entire flock go after flying
insects down the wet weather creek on a few occasions and end up roosting for a few days in the trees at
night. This is not normal behavior, but it does happen.
If one or two do return to the coop keep them up. The rest of the flock may hear them
and decide enough is enough and return.
One thing I have found though out my Guinea owner time is they HATE to be alone and will do just about
any thing to get back to the main flock.
They do have to know where home is and they do have to be able to hear the main flock call at them in return
of their calls.

Hope this helps:
Guinea G.

 

[PotterWatch]

Last year we had our 20 guineas go out for a couple days and only half of them came back. Never did find any trace of the ones that didn't return.

 

[mkcolls]

Thank you both for your posts. My first thought was, "It's spring and the little buggers tend to get a little bit crazier than usual." When the one returned that was a surprise, and she put up a racket trying to call the others home. Our friends didn't say why they didn't keep the one penned, other than habit, I don't have a answer for that.

Our friends are away for the weekend, my DH is feeding their stock and he said he will pen any guineas that come back. Right now our friends are talking about getting keets already. I will advise them to give it some more time as at least part of the flock may return.

It is always fun and never dull with guineas.