Guinteas being systematically executed!

[peewee918]

Hello, I recently set up my coop inside a gigantic run. 90x75 to be exact and 6 ft tall. The killing started about 3 weeks ago. Lost two chickens. Chickens wised up and started going either inside the coop or under coop at night. However guineas and turkeys staying outside of coop in run on roosts or trees. Started noticing missing guineas. Set out traps and caught opossum first night and cat the next night. Kept traps set outside of pen. Caught nothing else. Still losing birds. Birds being decapitated and partially eaten. Spent night with birds to try and figure out what killing for 2 nights. Middle of first night about 2:30 in morning woke up cause heard owl really close. Waited to see if heard commotion from birds. No sound. About 30 minutes later got up to patrol and found dead bird right in front of some guineas and turkey! Eaten right in front of them! The nerve of this. Stayed up till 4:00am with birds. Then decided because animal had already eaten wouldnt attack again. Went inside my house. Woke up next morning and found another bird decapitated and partially eaten! Put electric fence around pen about 1 ft above the bottom so could get nice zap. Know was working cause my stupid dog tested it out! Lol. Put all guineas up at night and spent night out again. No fatalites that night. Caught a coon in cage trap outside of pen as well as another cat. Thought problem solved. Next night made certain fence up and working and didnt make birds come in and I didnt stay with them. Woke up this morning to find a guinea carcass. Everything eaten but the wings! What the heck is this? I'm at my wits end. Could it be a bobcat jumping over fence and managing to miss the electric wire? Or is it an owl? ANY IDEAS? Thanks, Sara

 

[sourland]

You are probably dealing with a Great Horned owl - or very likely a pair with their juvenile young.

 

[zazouse]

You are probably dealing with a Great Horned owl - or very likely a pair with their juvenile young.

I agree.
Covering your run sounds like the only way you are going to stop the killing.
Sorry for all your losses

 

[centrarchid]

Covering such a large run will be pricey so getting birds into a coop is next best option. Can your dog be trusted around birds? Does dog show an interest in problem?

 

[joycespell]

I agree.
Covering your run sounds like the only way you are going to stop the killing.
Sorry for all your losses

i agree also because they are bad for eating all the meat but leaving the wing since they are all bone.i hope the massacre ends for you

 

[peewee918]

Just lost another bird last night. Been locking birds up for the most part but a few refuse and hide under the coop. Recently had one of my ducks attacked too. Tried to rip her head off! Has talon marks on her neck but she escaped. Lost a big Lanshan rooster last night. I'm telling you this thing is ruthless! Set a bal-chatri trap for it. Caught it twice apparently but escaped the nooses. Had the trap strapped to the ground. Unfortunately, didnt think about the fact that once it tried to fly off and then realized it couldnt had time to just bite the nooses off his legs. Now have the trap suspended in the air on a pole. Still strapped to pole though. If hits trap now should just fall upside down once trap off pedistal. Thought was good idea but unfortunately one of the birds under coop came out last night so owl went after it instead of the poor bird, excuse me happy bird in the trap. Any ideas? Thanks, Sara

 

[centrarchid]

Catching options not legal unless done by someone with a permit.



Work harder at getting birds confined at night. Have a dog out. I use both and loose very few to owls.


If you feel silly, then look into those red flashing light devices. You are in a perfect situation to test to see if they work by sudden stop in losses. If you get loss stoppage with such I would try one as well.

 

[peewee918]

I have the red flashing lights around the sides of the pen but not on top of pen. On sides to detract coyotes and bobcats. What about a motion light outside?

 

[centrarchid]

Try it. You are in a relatively rare situation where you can test. Alternate nights contraption is on to see if owl visits or losses to it agree with device operating.


Also take the time to sleep outside under sleeping bag. I have seen some really cool owl activity doing that which helped me figure out what was going on. Owls, great-horned in particular, are very consistent about time they visit. They also are hard to chase off. Last round I had the bugger would fly off but come back 10 minutes later to start again. Mine did not seem to recognize me when I lay down even though it surely could see me. This makes me think they are not all that bright. They also seem more comfortable than hawks when it comes to operating on ground.

 

[peewee918]

Well nothing last night. Heard two of them around 9 PM but that was it. I stayed out in the trees until about 12 AM. Then came back in side. Had all of the birds inside coop and various pens except for the adult turkeys. Would they take on an adult turkey? Also would they crawl underneath my coop to frighten birds out so they can kill them? Motion light never went off while I was outside. Thanks again, Sara