Guinea - Missing without a trace

[KZ]

I have a pair of guineas who are about a year old now. They are always together. I was out with them about 10 am and they were running around together chasing chickens in the barn. This afternoon, at about 5 pm, the female returned to the pen alone. We went and looked around for the male, but there is no trace of him. There is just an area under a bush where I can see they were taking a dust bath earlier, but no obvious disturbance. About a week ago one of our chickens went missing the same way - middle of the day, no noise, no trace. I really thought the guineas were too fast to be taken by a predator in the middle of the day. I don't see any tracks, no feathers, nothing. My husband was around all day and he did not hear anything out of the ordinary, either. I am just really surprised that something could sneak up on him and drag him off without a trace - they are so loud and nervous! What do you think it is?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I bet ya she has a hidden nest somewhere, you should probably try to find her before a fox or something does!

 

[ColbyNTX]

Sounds like a bobcat or a fox. They are quick and usually leave no trace! I had a mountain lion last fall and lost 11 roosters in 2 nights without a trace and then my 10 year old 86lb lab! No trace of anything.

 

[annaserv]

I've lost 5 Guineas this year due to a fox family, all in the middle of the day (between 11:00 and 2:00). Thought I was doing good training my birds to come in at night so they were safe from predators but I was wrong. Twice they went in pairs. I figured they were defending their mates. Now the poor birds aren't allowed outside till later in the day when my husband and I are working around the yard.

 

[KZ]

Wow, I am sorry to hear about everyone's losses! I read the "predators" link, but what was written made it sound like if they were in at night they would be pretty safe. I am rethinking that, for sure! Now everyone is locked up.

I put my female guinea in with a breeding pair of peafowl the day after her mate went missing. She had spent the morning wandering around calling and looking for her lost mate and I got worried I was going to lose her, too. Since they all (her and her mate and the 2 peafowl) lived in adjoining pens since I got them I figured she needed some company. It's a bit eerie the way they seemed to be comforting her. When I first put her in their cage, she actually stood in the corner with her head down while they sorta bobbed their heads down to her like they were lightly stroking her. Even my husband commented on their touching behavior.

She seems a bit better today, but at the risk of sounding crazy, she truly seems to be grieving his loss. Maybe when the younger guineas get older she will hang with them..until then I guess her buddies are going to be the peafowl.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
Aw - Poor Lil' Guin-Guin! Give her a hug for me!

Poor lil' o' thing!

 

[fl_deb]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[cgmccary]

Sorry for your loss. I have some growing keets right now (15 of them). My chickens currently free range during the day, and this always scares me when I read things like this. They come in, and I close them up tight for the night. The keets are being raised by three hens & hopefully, the hens will teach them to come in at night.

I have a LG dog, but it worries me when I know she was up all night because of the coyotes-- the dog has to sleep sometime-- and I figure that is mostly during the day.