How many Guinea Hens will an owl eat in a year?

[pasqually]

I have 3 specific owls in my area, and not too many other ground predators. we do have coyotes, fox, fisher cat and hawks, but the populations are very low.

I have access and permission to raise guinea fowl on my land and then populate the surrounding areas with them, and I would like to raise them as wild as possible, and setup areas for them to thrive as much on their own as possible. My question is how many can 1 owl eat in a year. realistically. I don't mind losing some to wildlife, but I don't want all my efforts to be a waste. I fully anticipate and expect to lose several each year.

starting with 30, and wish to get to 90-100 before making serious efforts to populate them in lands around me. Plenty of water access, lots of fields and wooded areas, elevation 1600ft and winters have gotten to -18f.

 

[R2elk]

I have 3 specific owls in my area, and not too many other ground predators. we do have coyotes, fox, fisher cat and hawks, but the populations are very low.

I have access and permission to raise guinea fowl on my land and then populate the surrounding areas with them, and I would like to raise them as wild as possible, and setup areas for them to thrive as much on their own as possible. My question is how many can 1 owl eat in a year. realistically. I don't mind losing some to wildlife, but I don't want all my efforts to be a waste. I fully anticipate and expect to lose several each year.

starting with 30, and wish to get to 90-100 before making serious efforts to populate them in lands around me. Plenty of water access, lots of fields and wooded areas, elevation 1600ft and winters have gotten to -18f.

I lost my entire flock of guineas to Great Horned owls once the owls found them. The only way to protect guineas from owls is by having them in a secure coop at night. Guineas roosting in trees are perfect owl food.

You can figure that a single owl can take a minimum of one guinea per night.

 

[R2elk]

I lost my entire flock of guineas to Great Horned owls once the owls found them. The only way to protect guineas from owls is by having them in a secure coop at night. Guineas roosting in trees are perfect owl food.

You can figure that a single owl can take a minimum of one guinea per night.

The other problem is that when guineas go broody, they are extremely vulnerable to ground predators. The nesting hens will be picked off by the fox, coyotes and fisher cats. Skunks and raccoons can also be a big problem.

 

[SilverBirds]

My neighbor lost his entire flock of 20+ Guineas, save 3 to a Bald Eagle and a Great Horned Owl, in less than a month.

 

[red horse ranch]

Do not do it! It's not fair to the guineas who are almost blind at night. You will just be feeding the wildlife.

 

[pasqually]

In my area, we lost probably 90% of our raccoons, and skunks several years ago to rabies.

I've been at my current location for a little over a year and have only seen a hawk twice, and it was on my way home, not at my home. I have not seen a single skunk, racoon, near my property. I have only seen a fisher cat once a few months back and it was traveling through my neighbors fields. We have moose, deer and elk that i've seen and heard pretty regularly, and there are 4 flocks of wild turkeys that love to hang out on my land and in my front yard, same with deer, they make bed in the back of my property.

in one sense, i don't mind putting in the work now to raise a large flock of hens and lose a few here and there to an owl, but I really want to keep an eye out for predators that just sport kill the birds. The owls up here are pretty territorial, and I think there is only 1 owl that hunts my land, I've seen him a few times, and it primarily eats mice from what I can tell. I've even fed it mice that i caught in my house/garage and the owl perches up near the campfire and will chill with us for awhile quite frequently.


"Do not do it! It's not fair to the guineas who are almost blind at night. You will just be feeding the wildlife."
- this is in part kind of my plan. I want a healthy wildlife and i'm interested in other livestock/birds I can raise to keep the local wildlife fed, but i'm also looking to populate the guineas to the point where the wildlife doesn't just wipe them out completely. I want them wild and thriving. I have several neighbors with chickens and other livestock, and a guy up the road with Guinea's and they are without fencing during the day and I do not believe he has lost a single bird this year. He lost 2 or 3 last winter but I think that was a fox.

 

[pasqually]

that sucks. 20 in 1 month is a pretty big blow

 

[R2elk]

In my area, we lost probably 90% of our raccoons, and skunks several years ago to rabies.

I've been at my current location for a little over a year and have only seen a hawk twice, and it was on my way home, not at my home. I have not seen a single skunk, racoon, near my property. I have only seen a fisher cat once a few months back and it was traveling through my neighbors fields. We have moose, deer and elk that i've seen and heard pretty regularly, and there are 4 flocks of wild turkeys that love to hang out on my land and in my front yard, same with deer, they make bed in the back of my property.

in one sense, i don't mind putting in the work now to raise a large flock of hens and lose a few here and there to an owl, but I really want to keep an eye out for predators that just sport kill the birds. The owls up here are pretty territorial, and I think there is only 1 owl that hunts my land, I've seen him a few times, and it primarily eats mice from what I can tell. I've even fed it mice that i caught in my house/garage and the owl perches up near the campfire and will chill with us for awhile quite frequently.


"Do not do it! It's not fair to the guineas who are almost blind at night. You will just be feeding the wildlife."
- this is in part kind of my plan. I want a healthy wildlife and i'm interested in other livestock/birds I can raise to keep the local wildlife fed, but i'm also looking to populate the guineas to the point where the wildlife doesn't just wipe them out completely. I want them wild and thriving. I have several neighbors with chickens and other livestock, and a guy up the road with Guinea's and they are without fencing during the day and I do not believe he has lost a single bird this year. He lost 2 or 3 last winter but I think that was a fox.

Talk to your local G&F or DNR and see what they think about your plans to turn a non-native poultry into a self sustaining wildlife population.

 

[pasqually]

Talk to your local G&F or DNR and see what they think about your plans to turn a non-native poultry into a self sustaining wildlife population.

naw. the land around me is all privately owned for like 100 acres in any direction. 3rd and 4th generation owners, small town vibes. We don't get gov involved in anything unless we want their money to fix something. and even then, we usually take care of it ourselves.

I've already talked to a number of my neighbors and everyone has been for it. only 1 family had concern about the "noise" they would make. which isn't an issue. If there is a flock of birds we can hunt, and wildlife can hunt, we agree that there's less of a chance the wildlife will go after our livestock in pens.

 

[R2elk]

naw. the land around me is all privately owned for like 100 acres in any direction. 3rd and 4th generation owners, small town vibes. We don't get gov involved in anything unless we want their money to fix something. and even then, we usually take care of it ourselves.

I've already talked to a number of my neighbors and everyone has been for it. only 1 family had concern about the "noise" they would make. which isn't an issue. If there is a flock of birds we can hunt, and wildlife can hunt, we agree that there's less of a chance the wildlife will go after our livestock in pens.

You really need to talk to them. Most states claim ownership of all the wildlife in the state no matter who owns the property they are on. They are experienced in what is necessary to keep a population healthy. Most states take a very dim view of people who introduce non native species as wildlife.