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

[ColtHandorf]

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.

It has nothing to do with the government and more to do with an idiotic plan to turn a non-native species into an environment it is poorly suited for, not to mention the impact it can have on local populations of indigenous wildlife.

If you want to raise gamebirds and turn them loose, talk to DNR and Game and Wildlife offices to see if you can be part of a breeding program/reintroduction program for wild turkeys or pheasants, which are not native but have been heavily introduced and are much more suited to the environment that you live in than a bird native to sub-Saharan Africa...

 

[SamLockwood]

The only way my mixed free range flock hasn't been completely wiped out over the last year is that they're surrounded by a 5' fence and they have a secure enclosure to sleep in at night. The guineas are better than the chickens at taking care of themselves in the daytime (only lost two to ground predators when a fallen tree took some fencing down) and over the last 13 months I haven't lost a single guinea to a hawk attack (though they try every week).

There's at least one owl that prowls at night and I have no doubts of the guineas were sleeping outside at night all 15 of them would be gone in a couple weeks.

 

[red horse ranch]

We have some pretty bitter and long winters here in Wyoming with lots of snow. Our guineas survive because they have enclosed shelters with plenty of feed and water. If you don't plan on caring for the guineas properly it would be animal cruelty to just turn them loose. They are very unlikely to survive.

 

[ColtHandorf]

We have some pretty bitter and long winters here in Wyoming with lots of snow. Our guineas survive because they have enclosed shelters with plenty of feed and water. If you don't plan on caring for the guineas properly it would be animal cruelty to just turn them loose. They are very unlikely to survive.

Not to mention, in humid or wet environments, they make terrible mothers. With the amount lost to predation, you definitely won't be producing enough from the birds you've set loose to keep the population remotely stable. Never mind the risk of introducing diseases to wild populations of turkeys and other native birds.