Obviously we'll be trying to kill it. It got a guinea. We believe it's rabid because it came out in broad daylight to do it. Ripped the head off. Ripped the wings off as well but just tossed them to different places in the run. Left the body lying.
I'm reluctant to put the dogs out if it really is rabid. I know shots should protect them but I really love my dogs and I don't wish to see them seriously injured even though I've no doubt they'd rid us of our pest in no time.
So live traps are going to be going out tomorrow. I'm sure we are going to catch all of our neighbors feral cats in the process.
UPDATE:
I went out to count the birds around 8 tonight. My husband had gone out earlier and said he'd caught a couple guineas trying to get back into the chicken run. 3 were missing after last nights attack. I figured they had flown away and would come back. So I take our great pyr with me and we set out to the barn. On the way I could hear a lone peacock crying. Very unnerving. We get into the barn and I see bodies. I'm gripping the dog for all I'm worth terrified of what I'm about to encounter. It's then I see an owl fly up and into the rafters where it gives me the evil eye before flying out of the barn. Various birds were in and around my brooders hiding. I ran inside to get my husband. He grabbed the gun even though we aren't quite sure if you can shoot an owl in our state. So we rounded everyone up. I'm unsure of how many guineas are missing. There were 3 dead chickens and 1 missing. All ducks and peacocks are accounted for.
We caught and locked all the birds up we could find. Tomorrow we are going to be fencing and putting a door on our barn.
Husband just googled and you can't kill owls, federally protected. Guess keeping it out is our only choice.
Here is our predator. Still sticking around.
I'm reluctant to put the dogs out if it really is rabid. I know shots should protect them but I really love my dogs and I don't wish to see them seriously injured even though I've no doubt they'd rid us of our pest in no time.
So live traps are going to be going out tomorrow. I'm sure we are going to catch all of our neighbors feral cats in the process.
UPDATE:
I went out to count the birds around 8 tonight. My husband had gone out earlier and said he'd caught a couple guineas trying to get back into the chicken run. 3 were missing after last nights attack. I figured they had flown away and would come back. So I take our great pyr with me and we set out to the barn. On the way I could hear a lone peacock crying. Very unnerving. We get into the barn and I see bodies. I'm gripping the dog for all I'm worth terrified of what I'm about to encounter. It's then I see an owl fly up and into the rafters where it gives me the evil eye before flying out of the barn. Various birds were in and around my brooders hiding. I ran inside to get my husband. He grabbed the gun even though we aren't quite sure if you can shoot an owl in our state. So we rounded everyone up. I'm unsure of how many guineas are missing. There were 3 dead chickens and 1 missing. All ducks and peacocks are accounted for.
We caught and locked all the birds up we could find. Tomorrow we are going to be fencing and putting a door on our barn.
Husband just googled and you can't kill owls, federally protected. Guess keeping it out is our only choice.
Here is our predator. Still sticking around.
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