Guinea talk.

[GlennLee]

Just decided to copy, cut and paste into a new post -

@CntryBoy777

A flock guardian dog is a great idea! I considered it, but it wouldn't work here based on their needs and we already have a dog who is more of a princess than a guard dog, unless it's the UPS truck!

I follow your philosophy on free ranging - that's what they were created to do and that's why I have them, but there are times when I wish they would be happy sticking closer to home, just for their safety. My fall and springs are rough here and we are already up to 4 losses this fall, I think due to a fox. They travel across the road to my neighbor's property and there's a large wooded are there. Good spot for foxes and coyotes to hang out and make their move. Also, it's hawk migration and they think it's a fast food restaurant with my flock.

@Dmontgomery also has ongoing issues with rat snakes and has posted some pics in this thread. Will your dog be of help in this situation? When you get to the laying point, if there's a way to encourage them to lay inside, that might help... just a thought. Thankfully, that's one predator NOT on my list.

Please do keep following and posting here... the more, the merrier!

Christy
@MartinsPoultry
mentioned it's like being on a roller coaster ride... I think there's a bit of the "Tower of Terror" and lazy river float thrown in there as well! Just depends on the day...

 

[CntryBoy777]

It is unfortunate, but it also is a fact of life....especially when living in the country. Each day can present different challenges and raising prey animals most certainly has risks, so I'm fully aware of that and it does seem sometimes there are some that have a death wish of sorts, but that is why certain losses are factored into the numbers and expected replacements. I have lurked here a bit before jumping in and a few other threads too, so ya can expect me to hang around....and have laughed quite often at @duluthralphie and his accounts of guineas, just hilarious.....

 

[guinealeghorn]

Luckily, the only snakes I have around here are the harmless garder variety. I have to worry about raccoons more than anything else. I have heard that guineas will attack snakes, but I don't know if that will help with rat snakes. Good luck with your future guineas, and hope they stick around!

 

[MartinsPoultry]

So we had some light shed on all the losses this previous week. My nephew Thomas and his fiance Sarah had their first kid.

 

[guinealeghorn]

Congratulations to Thomas and Sarah!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I finally got my guineas into the hoop coop i built!

 

[MartinsPoultry]

Modified the trampoline coop now with roosts so everyone has some play spots. James and I also treated them for mites and worms before it gets to cold.

 

[CntryBoy777]

@CapricornFarm and @MartinsPoultry those are really nice looking and certainly functional....MP with that many birds there a poor ole bug doesn't stand much of a chance of lasting very long if they just happen into that gauntlet.....

 

[MartinsPoultry]

Haha nope not at all and that is just my baby coop and run. The adults are attached to them on their right full time sight for easier introduction later on. If a bug gets lucky for the babies it will not make it through the adults.

 

[Dmontgomery]

@Dmontgomery - are your chickens still laying in your hay bale caves? I have 3-4 Rhode Island Reds that have taken over the hay bale cave for their daily laying, now that the guineas have stopped. Not too sure if I want them to continue laying there with snow coming and eventually, the guineas will be wanting it back to use. Here's what I found - just like this. I think my hens are taking egg decorating classes on the sly!

View attachment 1178893

That’s a beautiful picture. As soon we found all the guinea eggs were bad, we took the hay bales out. I set the cave up just for Gertrude, and it was WAY too inconvenient to crawl under the roosts looking for eggs. By the time she got up to about 15 eggs, she wasn’t allowing any of the chicken hens in to that area anyway.