I got hit hard last night

[woodmort]

Went out last night to close up the birds just after sundown and my old--8-yr--rooster came running up to me all excited, something he usually won't do. I flashed a light around and what I thought was snow was white feathers. After catching the roo, putting him in the coop and counting beaks I found all my chickens were in but my four guineas were missing. Since one of them was white--the other three were pearls--I assume that was the white feathers. I didn't find any other feathers but as of noon today none of the guineas have turned up so I assume they were all part of the massacre. Since the feathers I found were between the house and coop--it's about 100 feet--and there are no bodies, I'm guessing it was either a fox, bobcat or coyote. Will keep the chickens in for a few days and then only let them out while I can keep an eye on them. Also putting my trap camera back out.

My experience with guineas is they are kind of dumb when it comes to predators. At one point we heard a lot of squawking only to find them chasing a small red fox--I drove it away. I started with 19 guineas 4 years ago and, assuming the last 4 are gone, have lost all but 4 to predators. For one thing they are a pain to get in at night, preferring to roost in the trees where they are owl bait. As much as I like to have them around, I'm not going to replace them.

 

[Trish1974]

Sorry to hear about that. It does sound like the work of fox or coyote. (I am not familiar with bobcats.)

 

[50-45-1]

Sorry about your guineas. I wouldent give up yet on those pearls, they may still show up. Especially if the only feathers found were from the white one. They may have bolted at the killing of there white flock mate and maybe just wandered to far from home.
I had a male guinea who was picked on by the other adults once, i called him lonesome. He wandered away and i was sure he was taKen by a preditor. Then one of my egg buyers who lived 3/4 of a mile away asked me if i was missing a guinea, as one was at his house eating under his bird feeders that morning. I said yes, but he could not catch him. And then about a week later he showed back up at home, on his own. Amazing something did not eat him in that 2 weeks.

 

[woodmort]

I found another pile of grey feathers about 4 ft from the white ones so at least 2 are gone.

 

[NewBoots]

I'm very sorry for the loss of your birds.

 

[dmanhefner]

If you would like to try again you may put guinea eggs or keets under a broody chicken and it will raise them. They will roost where she roosts.

 

[woodmort]

To be honest, I really won’t miss them. My primary reason for getting them in the first place was for tick control but they didn’t do such a good job of that and they were constantly harassing the chickens. I’m sure my neighbors won’t miss the noise either.

 

[Fishkeeper]

In that case, you might want to consider rehoming the other two, if they ever come back, instead of waiting for something to eat them. I'm sure they'll be freaked out about no longer being in a flock because of the other members being eaten.

 

[woodmort]

I’m sure they are gone as well. They would have shown up by now

 

[woodmort]

Well I was half wrong. When I closed up the chickens tonight---first time they were out since the massacre--there was one guinea on the roost. Of the four this was the one--more black that pearl--that would often take to the trees for the night. Whether the other pearl is around I'm not sure--there isn't really anyplace close, other than the woods, where it could hang out.