Guinea Fowl Predators

[Lovem all]

Yes there are. The boys have much bigger gobbles and sometimes even bigger horns. I've never 100% relied on the calls but I'm sure it's accurate cause that's how we sexed my last keet.
I'll be here to help you.

 

[Bobbyee Johanna]

Thank you! I really really appreciate it.

 

[Lovem all]

Any time for a fellow guinea mama

 

[hayley3]

Last night 3/4 of my guinea fowl were killed. No bodies left. My husband went to check on them this morning and only found feathers and blood. The only remaining guinea fowl that was alive flew out of the pen as soon as the door was opened and cannot be found now.
The pen is made of chicken wire within a shed. It is about 4”x7”x10”. When husband went out, the window was pulled open and it looked like something had crawled on top of the pen and bent some of the metal down to get in. There was also a large pile of poop on the floor. He thinks it was a raccoon and is hella mad at my neighbours because they have A LOT of garbage and old vehicles/things in their yard in which the raccoons live. The fowl were purchased as hatchlings on June 7th 2020. We had been letting one out a few times and were about to let two out today.

1. would a raccoon eat the whole body of the bird? And why leave one?

2. What other predators could open a window?

3. If I do get more, how should they be introduced to the remaining lone guinea so that they don’t attack each other (I read some posts about new flocks killing a previous lone guinea when put together)

4. what will happen to my last guinea (if it does come back)? I’ve also read that they could go into a depression if a flock member dies.
Please help me! I am devastated These birds were a birthday gift and I absolutely loved them. My heart is breaking

My first thought would be raccoon but a raccoon leaves the body. A fox takes the body and leaves feathers and sometimes blood.
Poop is normally left by raccoons because they eat on the spot and poop too.

 

[Lovem all]

How's you last guinea doing?

 

[cmom]

Okay that sounds doable. I will try that.

While I have you, can you tell me how to sex them? What I’ve read is that you can tell by their call. A male has a one-syllable call and a female has a two-syllable call. Are there any other signs?

You are correct. Males say "buck" (not really) and the females "buck wheat"

 

[cmom]

It appears to be a coon. If you have a game camera, put it up because it will be back. Good luck...

 

[Rldad1]

Recommend you shore up you shed and replace all chicken wire with Hardware Cloth. Raccoons can get through Chicken Wire very easily. If you want to do that then i recommend you add electricity to you control, i.e hotwire it. Beware, the raccoon will be back!