Owl? The guineas are in an enclosed run 9/16!

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Ok so I could not catch them it was just as I predicted! I was equipped only with watermelon and a net. I got 2 but when I put them in the coop they screamed bloody murder. So then I put the original ramp back up and line it with watermelon and corn, as well as putting 1/2 a watermelon inside in the far back corner. Well they were going along just fine and stopped dead at the ramp. I was hiding behind the trees watching. No camo on though, just sitting there waiting for the chance to trip the door which I had slightly caught back and I was holding the rope. They never so much as budged towards the ramp. Then it started getting dark and they made their way back to the death row tree. I have included pic of my idea let me know what you all think. See the 2 2x 6's about 10 inches from top to bottom on the right hand side. I think I can put 4 or 5 L brackets along there attach some plywood, do this to the top of the top 2x and to the bottom of the bottom 2x put plywood along the back side frame up the side with plywood start putting their corn in there and get them to start sleeping in there. I could even frame out a the front with a door with 2x4's with 19 guage hardwire cloth to put down at night and competely shut them in. Leave one of those lovely dogs you see outside every other night till this thing moves on.
53862_dsc01014.jpg

Oh please say this will work. The tree you see on the top right of this pic is the tree they are roosting in currently. I did not think something would come that close to my back door. They are 15 ft away from my back door and 20 or so feet high. I have the monitor on as loud as it will go so any little sound should wake me, if I am able to sleep at all. I hope the weather is nice tomorrow as I have lots of work to do.
 
I hope that I am wrong, but I don't think that the owl will move on as long as there is a source of food (your guineas) available. Many years ago, I had a flock of semi-feral bantams that roosted in the pines. A family of horned owls killed and ate half of the flock before the survivors decided to roost in the coop at night. Feed only in the run, and once the guineas are all inside lock them there. Good luck! Great horned owls are fearsome predators.
 
Sourland has good advice. Put their feed and water in the run, and shut it as soon as they go in there. Is there a way for them to get into the run at ground level? That might work better than a ramp.
 
Can you cover the top of the outside run? If not, what's going to keep them in there? I honestly don't know how guineas work. I know that with my chickens, I left them in their new coop and run for about a week - no free ranging - and they figured out that the coop was the place for them to go at night. They put themselves to bed every evening. Any guinea people out there who can tell OP how to get them inside at night?
 
Unfortunately, and more or less.... yeah. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but unless you really want to take that risk. I would still suggest you spend some time tomorrow calling your local wildlife agent and see what they have to say about the matter, they may be able to help as you are loosing live stock to the predator.... I know in many cases when I used to work as a professional pest removal/trapper they issued special permits to remove predators that were damaging livestock. Now this was nothing more than a bobcat and at the time there was no season on bobcats in Missouri and they were considered protected so I am unsure what they will do about an owl as that is federal jurisdiction but it's worth a shot.

Steve
 
OK, the problems with SSS in this case are: Guns aren't quiet. Depending on where I lived, if I heard shooting in the middle of the night, I'd be calling someone. What does OP do when a sheriff shows up while she's trying to bury the owl she illegally shot. Assuming, of course, she got the owl. Which leads to another set of problems. She says she's not a very good shot, and even if she was, she'd be shooting IN THE DARK at something she can't see. Hmmm, doesn't sound so great at this point. Her best option is to try to get the guineas under cover at night if she can.
 

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