- May 1, 2013
- 2
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Hi y'all
This is just a rant about losing my guineas in the last thunderstorm we had here in Kentucky. Unfortunately it wasn't because they escaped. Something got into the cage.
I started out with 6 little keets a couple years ago. I actually got them from a member here at BYC that is in KY. I loved my little guineas......
Well, this spring I found one of my guineas cold and dead but no marks or anything and after reading some of the pest threads last night, I think maybe, whatever got into my cage was scaring my guineas and they just squashed that one on the bottom. I just thought it was a couple roosters too many and they just killed that one but now...... I ended up with 2 girls and 4 boys out of the 6.
What makes this so bad is... this was all my fault. My guineas did not have a house to go into, just a cage with a large dog crate that they had outgrown and so I quit putting them in at night as they liked to roost on some boards I had in there. My cage was covered and I had some fencing laid out so they couldn't dig under it. I have 3 outside dogs, siberian husky, austrailian sheepdog, and a black Lab/chow? mix. My siberian showed up with my black labby one day and they are a couple. My dang dogs are scared of thunderstorms unfortunately. So they were hiding somewhere and not watching like they normally do. They just love to run things off and have run off the deer and turkeys but the wild turkeys are coming back so maybe my dogs have learnt not to chase birds?
Naw, I ain't that lucky. They just haven't noticed the turkeys or a turkey beat them up and they know better now.
I went to the farmer's co-op in town, I live 5-6 miles outta town in cow country as cows are everywhere along with blueberries and tobacco and hay. The guy there told me it could be coyotes, fox, raccoons, coydogs(half wild dog and half coyote), wild dogs and I know I have hawks, lots and lots of hawks, so I watch my cat and 2 chiwawas and cover my cages from the hawks. Beautiful birds, soaring the wind currents and just gorgeous. I thought about getting rid of the hawks but they are so numerous that it would be a waste as another hawk would just move in. And I'm told it's against the law but... well.... ya know how it is, bankers and politicians and all don't have to follow the laws so I figure I'm as good as them about following the law. We'll leave it at that.
I do not believe in poisoning any animal period!!! I look online to see how they got rid of coyotes and poisoning seems to be the favorite method. I lived in Dallas, TX for 15 years a long time ago now, and so I heard about and saw coyotes too. Yep in Dallas... And the ranchers poison coyotes. I just think that when you poison something, it doesn't stop with that critter. It continues down the food chain and kills the vultures, of which we have lots here, and everything else that touches the carcass. Too much death for me. I really am an old softie about animals....
My stepkids (whom you will hear me call step sometimes and sometimes not, but for clarification, I have no children but 3 stepkids, all grown up now as the last one is in her first year of college, whom I love dearly) are the reason for my outside dogs. Yep, y'all know how it is, they bring them home when they cann't take care of them anymore.
So my boy is thinking his siberian... I told him, no way. hole's too small and no hair on the wire fencing and he would have left lots as he is still shedding big time. But he feels guilty and we've told him nope, didn't happen.... Him and my oldest girl were here with me when we discovered the guinea feathers and empty cage. He picked up all the feathers he could find as I was just freaking out and crying and staring at the cage....
My fence was rusty at the bottom where it went into the boards and obviously whatever it was had been testing the fencing, probably for some time. The hole it made was not big enough for the siberian to get into or any of my dogs without leaving hair hanging. I do not know how a raccoon could get into that hole without leaving any hair.
Whatever it was, chased my guineas around the cage and got one of my girls, little busted rubbery egg in the feathers, right outside the cage. A bunch of feathers I didn't see was found at the woodline. A good 100 ft if not more away from the cage. A couple feathers were found in the opposite direction from the cage, so the guineas scattered once they were chased out the cage. I haven't heard any guineas around my house and I know what they sound like as I loved them and their noisy little cheeps. One of my girls was vocal, all the time, like she just like to hear herself talk. Comeback, comeback, comeback.......
I am going to get a wildlife camera and put it down there and see what is coming around. I got the names of some good killers around here. I'm told they enjoy hunting, especially coyotes, but will come kill anything I want killed. For free..
Good thing as I usually just aim at them and cann't seem to pull that trigger. And if I'm angry enough, which I get over fast as it came, I aim but my shooting skills suck. My hubby says he can get the critter but he is an old softie too and will feel bad about it.
I think I will just have to fortify my cages and I have a chicken house almost built. Yep, I got the chickens and ducks before the cages and house. I got my guineas the same way. Built their cage after I got them. My hubby needs a nudge sometimes.
Still love him more and more as time goes by tho.
He built me a big chicken box/tractor that my chicks are in right now and they are in front of my house. Close...
Gotta run now, I'm going to Mississippi to see my cousin. Her Mom just died so I'm going down there to just give out some love for the weekend. I know how it hurts to lose your Mom, both my parents are dead now over 5 years but it doesn't seem like it.
Dang family fell apart but I still keep up with a cousin in MS and the only Aunt (in FL) I have left, my brother and sister somewhat. I came from a very, very large family and I really miss it.. 6 Aunts and Uncles on each side with 2-4 kids each so.... It's so sad what death does to a family. We didn't fight, just quit keeping in touch. Life is too busy for most people now-a-days and they don't write letters and I do not do emails or the facebookie thing. I want personal, handwritten letters, so this is probably my fault too. Dang... But then, the cousins I kept in touch with have died on me too. All in their 50's or before. Outliving everyone is no fun, no fun at all and I used to think I wanted to live to be 100, not anymore....
I will be back on Monday but I have to go as my ride leaves at 3pm and I am not packed or anything.
I am always late and in a rush if I plan something and that's why I do not plan much. Just go with the flow.
Thank y'all for listening. I feel better now for ranting.
This is just a rant about losing my guineas in the last thunderstorm we had here in Kentucky. Unfortunately it wasn't because they escaped. Something got into the cage.
I started out with 6 little keets a couple years ago. I actually got them from a member here at BYC that is in KY. I loved my little guineas......
Well, this spring I found one of my guineas cold and dead but no marks or anything and after reading some of the pest threads last night, I think maybe, whatever got into my cage was scaring my guineas and they just squashed that one on the bottom. I just thought it was a couple roosters too many and they just killed that one but now...... I ended up with 2 girls and 4 boys out of the 6.
What makes this so bad is... this was all my fault. My guineas did not have a house to go into, just a cage with a large dog crate that they had outgrown and so I quit putting them in at night as they liked to roost on some boards I had in there. My cage was covered and I had some fencing laid out so they couldn't dig under it. I have 3 outside dogs, siberian husky, austrailian sheepdog, and a black Lab/chow? mix. My siberian showed up with my black labby one day and they are a couple. My dang dogs are scared of thunderstorms unfortunately. So they were hiding somewhere and not watching like they normally do. They just love to run things off and have run off the deer and turkeys but the wild turkeys are coming back so maybe my dogs have learnt not to chase birds?
I went to the farmer's co-op in town, I live 5-6 miles outta town in cow country as cows are everywhere along with blueberries and tobacco and hay. The guy there told me it could be coyotes, fox, raccoons, coydogs(half wild dog and half coyote), wild dogs and I know I have hawks, lots and lots of hawks, so I watch my cat and 2 chiwawas and cover my cages from the hawks. Beautiful birds, soaring the wind currents and just gorgeous. I thought about getting rid of the hawks but they are so numerous that it would be a waste as another hawk would just move in. And I'm told it's against the law but... well.... ya know how it is, bankers and politicians and all don't have to follow the laws so I figure I'm as good as them about following the law. We'll leave it at that.
I do not believe in poisoning any animal period!!! I look online to see how they got rid of coyotes and poisoning seems to be the favorite method. I lived in Dallas, TX for 15 years a long time ago now, and so I heard about and saw coyotes too. Yep in Dallas... And the ranchers poison coyotes. I just think that when you poison something, it doesn't stop with that critter. It continues down the food chain and kills the vultures, of which we have lots here, and everything else that touches the carcass. Too much death for me. I really am an old softie about animals....
My stepkids (whom you will hear me call step sometimes and sometimes not, but for clarification, I have no children but 3 stepkids, all grown up now as the last one is in her first year of college, whom I love dearly) are the reason for my outside dogs. Yep, y'all know how it is, they bring them home when they cann't take care of them anymore.
My fence was rusty at the bottom where it went into the boards and obviously whatever it was had been testing the fencing, probably for some time. The hole it made was not big enough for the siberian to get into or any of my dogs without leaving hair hanging. I do not know how a raccoon could get into that hole without leaving any hair.
Whatever it was, chased my guineas around the cage and got one of my girls, little busted rubbery egg in the feathers, right outside the cage. A bunch of feathers I didn't see was found at the woodline. A good 100 ft if not more away from the cage. A couple feathers were found in the opposite direction from the cage, so the guineas scattered once they were chased out the cage. I haven't heard any guineas around my house and I know what they sound like as I loved them and their noisy little cheeps. One of my girls was vocal, all the time, like she just like to hear herself talk. Comeback, comeback, comeback.......
I am going to get a wildlife camera and put it down there and see what is coming around. I got the names of some good killers around here. I'm told they enjoy hunting, especially coyotes, but will come kill anything I want killed. For free..
I think I will just have to fortify my cages and I have a chicken house almost built. Yep, I got the chickens and ducks before the cages and house. I got my guineas the same way. Built their cage after I got them. My hubby needs a nudge sometimes.
Gotta run now, I'm going to Mississippi to see my cousin. Her Mom just died so I'm going down there to just give out some love for the weekend. I know how it hurts to lose your Mom, both my parents are dead now over 5 years but it doesn't seem like it.
I will be back on Monday but I have to go as my ride leaves at 3pm and I am not packed or anything.
Thank y'all for listening. I feel better now for ranting.
