I'm very sad!

[EggHunter_66]

I have been wanting Guinea fowl for so long now...feels like forever and I finally found a local person that sells them and I just bought 4 on May 31st....I LOVED them...they were so cute!!! I was so excitted to finally have them and each night I would go out and spend a short time with them afterwork so they would get used to me and it was working BUT yesturday morning when I went to let my chickens out of the coop for the day I found two of my baby keets dead with snake bite wounds and the others were no where to be found!!!! I stood there and cryied

I had then in what I thought was a secure area completely enclosed with chickenwire ... wasnt thinking about snakes because I always kept my new chicken chicks in there and never had a problem. What I dont understand is HOW the snake got back out after eating 2 guinea keets and 2 turkey chicks!?!?
SSSSooo now I am without guineas

OOohhh that darn snake

makes me so mad....we looked everywhere for it but no luck.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Oh, I am so sorry!!!

 

[chicmom]

I am really sorry that happened. I know this seems early but you know what the cure is don't you? Get six more guineas! (Maybe find the snake and kill it first if you can.)

So sorry! Hugs to you!

 

[FF]

I'm sorry about your loss. Put a few eggs out in your yard or go buy some feeder mice and set out there with a pellet gun or a sharp axe and get back at it. Because now he knows where food is and is going to keep coming back. Sorry about your loss.

 

[linbee]

I am very sorry -- I joined this forum today because the same thing happened to me this morning. I was fortunate enough to get to them while the snake was still in their cage. 3 were dead and 4 missing. The snake is dead! I thought their cage was fine - never thought about snakes. This is my first time to have any type of poultry, and I thought the guineas would be great. I would happily share the ones I have left with you, but I am in Texas (a little far for a Sunday drive), but it was heartbreaking to discover. The rest of them are now in my bathroom - I don't know what to do. How big do they have to be before a snake wouldn't bother them?

 

[EggHunter_66]

Thank you everyone for your comments!
Yea, I have a couple of eggs out in hopes it comes back and when it does it will be shot on sight!!!!
Yes, its very heartbreaking finding them like that so I know just how you feel "linbee"....Oh and Welcome to the forum and THANK YOU so much for offering to share what you have left if we lived closier...that is so very nice of you!!
I do plan on getting more it's just money is tight right now so I am unable too :-( When I do get more....they will live in the house for sometime before I put them out.
It happened during the night and I feel so stupid cause I didnt even know snakes came out then. Hubby told me that they sun themselves all day and then hunt for food at night. And if this is a rattlesnake it MUST go for sure!!!
Again, thank you everyone!

 

[Whispering Winds]

What a shame, so sorry!! A snake always seems like such a horrible way to go too. Especially the little ones that were bitten. I hope you get that snake and good!!! And yes, more babies would take care of that aching void!!!!!

 

[ColbyNTX]

I had this happen years ago and that is why I built 2 pens 6X6X6 and a 6X8X6 covered with hardware cloth. I use these to grow out my babies after they leave the brooder. Haven't had a snake kill one in years. Now they will get into the adult birds pins and steal an egg or two but i'm ok with that. Its not too late in the season to get some more. Sorry for your loss.

 

[racuda]

A cheap way to snake-proof a chicken wire pen is to cover it with deer netting from Lowes. A 100' roll is 12.97. I lost a baby duck to a rat snake. Since putting up the netting I've had no more problems. If you leave some of the netting on the ground, snakes will get tangled up in it and die.

Here is a Copperhead caught by the netting:

 

[EggHunter_66]

Quote:
Hey, Thank you I didn't know about that netting and I will try it!


I did recieve an email from the wonderful person who I purchased the keets from and she told me she is going to give some to re-place them....how AWESOME is that!

I get to pick them up tomorrow

These babies will stay in my house until they are older and I secure there coop even more!