Guinea talk.

[GlennLee]

Sun - sorry to hear about the "end" of your story.

I didn't have it up on my computer when I posted. Perhaps Guineapeeps is correct and more will return as the day unfolds. Fingers crossed, we'll be hoping for that.

Patti - no trap, just vigilance. It may be a losing battle as we have several packs of coyotes here. At least I won't have to worry about it for a few days and the break from free ranging might do them good. My girls are starting to look more "bright eyed and bushy tailed". Maybe with fewer males they are getting a bit of a break from the constant mounting. Even hop-a-long Helen has a new spring in her step. Another thing to market - Pampers for Guineas!

Good luck with the migrating hawks. Oh - an author you may be interested in - Ann Patchett (Bell Canto) and she has just released a new book (Commonwealth). Bell Canto was one of my favorite reads... still sorry about my recommendation for War Horse.

May this be a predator free day for everyone....

 

[guineapeeps]

I think weekend I went to close up she was already in the tree and that's why I couldn't find her. I think the attack must have occurred between 6 and 7 and I didn't actually see her out the window. I am questioning memory as to whether I heard anything or not during that time frame. I knew there was a risk with her raising them. Unfortunately, I only have one broody pen and my sebright is in it with two speckled Sussex chicks. Even with this remaining lavender chick, I am telling myself not to get attached, but it's hard. You always have hope and wish for the best, even though I didn't want any more anyway.

This morning around nine I was out by the coop and pearl came flying off the burn pile hollering. I didn't see anything but the burn pile was between me and the crops.i checked her nest and it has six eggs but I'm 90% sure it should have 7. I have so much to do today and need to run to town but I feel paranoid about predators again.

I hate to say this, but it may come back knowing there is an easy meal to be had. Although the mothers do a good job of calling to the babies, this call probably also calls in predators as well. Can you put a radio out near where they are? I had a fox that stalked my keets for a week or so and would come into our yard in the middle of the day. It even got my lavender male that was protecting the keets. I had a gun ready at all times, but he was always too fast for me to get. Since putting the radio out, I have not seen him anymore.
One of the reasons that I started to let my hens hatch the keets is because I got so attached to the little keets. I have to say though, that I do still get attached, then feel guilty to pry the little ones away from their mother, as I can't keep them all (although I wish I could). Either way, losing them is never easy for any reason, and predators are especially hard

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I hate to say this, but it may come back knowing there is an easy meal to be had. Although the mothers do a good job of calling to the babies, this call probably also calls in predators as well. Can you put a radio out near where they are? I had a fox that stalked my keets for a week or so and would come into our yard in the middle of the day. It even got my lavender male that was protecting the keets. I had a gun ready at all times, but he was always too fast for me to get. Since putting the radio out, I have not seen him anymore.
One of the reasons that I started to let my hens hatch the keets is because I got so attached to the little keets. I have to say though, that I do still get attached, then feel guilty to pry the little ones away from their mother, as I can't keep them all (although I wish I could). Either way, losing them is never easy for any reason, and predators are especially hard

I do keep a radio on at almost all times in the garage, nice and loud. It does help, or its coincidence. Predation is lower than it was this time last year, but the hawks have not hit the area yet either, I don't think. You can see here the garage is in the center of the property. The coops (not shown) are about 20' behind the garage. The burn pile is much larger now, but her it is the white area near the truck on the left side of the property. That is where the pearl's nest is. The crop line on the right is where the lavenders keep hanging out, so I assume new fox has moved in to the patch of trees on that side. There is a family plot there, but you can't find headstones, just fox holes.

I know it will be back, it's just a matter of when. I have a rifle loaded and ready but I can't be out there all the time, you know, which is why I have the baby monitor. Its in the run but picks up alarm calls from most of the back half of the property.

 

[guineapeeps]

I do keep a radio on at almost all times in the garage, nice and loud. It does help, or its coincidence. Predation is lower than it was this time last year, but the hawks have not hit the area yet either, I don't think. You can see here the garage is in the center of the property. The coops (not shown) are about 20' behind the garage. The burn pile is much larger now, but her it is the white area near the truck on the left side of the property. That is where the pearl's nest is. The crop line on the right is where the lavenders keep hanging out, so I assume new fox has moved in to the patch of trees on that side. There is a family plot there, but you can't find headstones, just fox holes.

I know it will be back, it's just a matter of when. I have a rifle loaded and ready but I can't be out there all the time, you know, which is why I have the baby monitor. Its in the run but picks up alarm calls from most of the back half of the property.

Th baby monitor is is great idea...I will have to try that. I hope you have an uneventful day and recover more keets!
P.S.: your property looks really pretty...what state do you live in? (It looks midwestern).

 

[pattyhen]

Ronda, War Horse has been on my bucket list to read for a long time. I'm glad I finally found it but after seeing the movie it just did not compare with the book.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Correction. The coops are about 40' behind the garage. I am contemplating making a poultry yard extending from the garage to the coops. My husband wants to make a lean-to behind the garage, which I think at most would extend 15' back because of the trees, which means I could have a yard of about 25x40 to give them more roaming space during the day, and then maybe they can free range the whole property when I am home and able to babysit. Obviously the guineas and turkeys would like fly in and out, and maybe a few of my flightier bantam breeds which is fine. But I am contemplating the specifics of this plan. I figure I could either do 5 or 6' privacy fencing (can foxes climb that?) which would be a visual deterrent, or I could do wire fencing and use the opportunity to get a goat, alpaca, miniature donkey or something of the like. I know none of these would work for coyotes, but they seem to keep foxes at bay. My neighbors with the goats have ducks in the goat pen and have not lost a single one to the foxes, though they somewhat regularly lose the chickens, guineas, or turkeys, that are not in the goat pen. Ideally I would fence the entire property and have a livestock guardian dog, but that isn't feasible at this point. Any thoughts?

Guineapeeps - I am in Maryland on the peninsula, about 15 miles south of the Delaware state line as the crow flies. We are a mile from a boat ramp that leads us to the Chesapeake Bay, and the ocean is a little over an hour to the east of us. This area is very rural and the commercial chicken industry is huge here (unfortunately for the Bay's health because of all the manure and septic tanks).

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Ronda, War Horse has been on my bucket list to read for a long time. I'm glad I finally found it but after seeing the movie it just did not compare with the book.

I really wanted to see it on the stage when I was in London, but my then boyfriend was a total drag and I missed the opportunity. I didn't realize it was a book until this thread, but I don't know if it would be good to read since I've seen the movie. Sometimes the movie ruins it. What do you think?

 

[pattyhen]

The movie of War Horse was great and based along the same storyline as the book but somethings were different. It's a very small book only 168 pages and more of a teenage book. A very sad story and alot of the book was wrote from the horses point of view. I don't regret reading it, it just wasn't as good as the movie. I got my book on Amazon it was only 4.00 and that included the shipping price.

 

[GlennLee]

I really wanted to see it on the stage when I was in London, but my then boyfriend was a total drag and I missed the opportunity. I didn't realize it was a book until this thread, but I don't know if it would be good to read since I've seen the movie. Sometimes the movie ruins it. What do you think?

I didn't read the book, rather I listened to it via audio book format on my phone. I enjoyed it while working in the garden, but reading and listening are two different ways to experience a book. As Patti mentioned, it's a youth literature book, but for some reason I didn't pick up on that while I was listening. It probably would have been more evident if I had read the book instead. I haven't seen the movie yet, so I probably would have been disappointed with the book if I had seen the movie first. Too bad you didn't get a chance to see it on stage in London. That would have been a terrific experience.

 

[GlennLee]

Oh, forgot to mention... I loved the satellite map of your place. It gives a good perspective of what you're talking about. You have certainly put a lot of thought into your guinea fowl housing project. What we could do if we could afford a game preserve and create a means to keep all the predators out!