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

[deerman]

Permit can take alot of trouble to get. You will have to show you have try other ways to keep your birds safe.. Sorry as long as they are free range, don't think you will be able to get a permit. Most state now have fence laws, were you need to keep yours pen.

The owl more than likely has may another kill. It will be back if it can't find other prey.

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

Ok so I purchased the guineas to be free range to control bugs, ticks, (it is said they work great for snakes also) and what not. They sleep in the tree behind my back door which has been fine by me only because they are my first line of defense for me and the Silkies. They will sound the alarm at the first sight of things, be it 2 legged or 4 I keep a loaded gun inside for whatever maybe after me or any of my livestock. Putting them in the coop would defeat that purpose and keeping them in a run would defeat the reason I keep and feed them to begin with. So it makes no sense to put them in the run if there job is to eat bugs around my farm. I am trying to solve this within reasonable means and keep the the guineas functional and safe. I have live traps set for coons, possums and whatever, I have cds now hung for hawks or owls and I did fix them a nest box but, it will take sometime to get them sleeping in there. The silkies are now fully covered in the run and I lock the door at night. I do not know of much else I could do.

My other neighbor stopped by when he saw me hanging the disc and one of his chickens got taken last night. Maybe if 2 of us are having problems they will pay more attention. I am trying really hard to fix this. Not sure how the neighbors plans to fix the problem. I however will sleep lightly till this is fixed.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
I know how you feel, those are the same reason I use to free range guineas. I wish you luck , if you can keep them pen up at night you may have better luck. Guineas will sound alarm with hawks, but owls they will not even see or hear them coming.


The lights may work.

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

Deerman thanks for posting you reminded me to turn on the back porch light. I put a bigger bulb in there not to mention the tree they roost in is maybe 30 foot from the light I have the county install when we had the electric run. The guineas did not know what to think of the disk but finally did get in the tree. Like I said I have been feeding them in their coop. I will also start putting treats in the nest boxes. When and if I do get them to sleep there I will then add the door that will shut them in during the night. I thought it would be best to first get them going in there and then add the door leave it open a night or 2 and then start shutting them in. Till then I will be running night patrol. Maybe he will stay away tonight, I really hate going out in the dark.
Oh I know the owl is absolutely silent, but I think when he was making his rounds he alerted a couple because when I went out the first time maybe 4 mins before the attack 3 were crouched down by my back door. I heard them the first time and was sitting inside on high alert when the attack happened that is why I was able to react so quickly. I knew something was going on and so did they. Poor little guinea. I really hate this thing when I think about it. Thanks for you help!

 

[bobbi-j]

Maybe you can wait till an hour or so before they roost to put the food in the coop for them, to lure them in there for the evening. And maybe a light in there? I guess it works on chickens. Mine have always gone in at night so I've never had to try it.

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

He just got another one. I walked out again in the middle of the attack. He dropped the guinea and I asume it broke it's neck in the fall I just watched it die. Man this sucks!

 

[fl_deb]

So sorry for your loss.

I hope those girls smarten up fast and learn that their coop is the safe place!


ETA:

Do you think you can string lots of monofilliment fishing line from tree to tree to house etc?
They use it all the time to deter birds from outdoor dining areas, beach side BBQ areas, etc. here in FL. The birds can't see the line and when they hit it it scares them and they avoid the area. I don't know if keets are big on flying or more hopping like my lg. chickens, but if they only fly up say 10 ft then string line at 15 feet. A wild bird does not want to get tangled up in something they just can't see!

 

[Akane]

Reason all future guineas of mine are having clipped wings and I've debated having the ones from the guinea hatchery pinioned so the wings don't have to be clipped constantly. Once they get it in their head to roost in the trees they don't give it up easily and aren't easily caught. I'm hoping keeping them from developing the habit until they have been going in their coop consistently for a year will mean I won't have to clip indefinitely. Once the owl finds out they are roosting in trees it does not go away. Nothing you put up will deter it forever. Eventually they get used to everything and realize it isn't a threat. Months after the last tree roosting guinea was killed I still have an owl waiting by the coop every night to see if a bird will sleep outside. They will not go away. You get 2 options (legal).... convince/keep guineas from roosting in the open or keep replacing them. Coming to the end of our 2nd year of trying everything under the sun that's all I've got. Some people mentioned they wouldn't be able to fly away from predators but in the end the last guinea to survive last year was the male who's wing I clipped to take him down a notch so he couldn't beat up my roosters as easily. This year all guineas got a wing clipped as soon as feathers started coming in. We lost all our chickens, aside from eggs and chicks inside, to foxes and a fishercat but we still have guineas despite the clipped wings.

To retrain guineas to go in a coop they will have to be confined there or in an attached run 24/7 for weeks. Anything less and you will be hauling them out of trees again. I would just start catching them a few at a time and tossing them in the coop until you have them all. Clip a wing, keep them locked up for 2 weeks, feed them a treat in the early evening, and then let some out in the late afternoon while keeping a few penned either in a chicken tractor, rabbit cages, or dog kennels where they can see and call to the others. The ones calling will make the others more likely to stick around and return to the coop. A nearby guinea breeder has some permanently penned up in his yard and his barn so the others will stick around. Feeding them a treat right before they would go to bed will also help encourage them to return to the coop while training them to come when you start throwing out feed. Slowly increase how early you let them out until they are loose all day and returning to the coop at night. If they try to roost out of the coop lock them up for awhile again. Guineas are stubborn. It takes some extremes to retrain them in order to keep them safe. If you don't give them a good reason to be in the coop and a deterrent from roosting elsewhere they will sleep in trees or on top of buildings. Cut the trees down and you'll just get owls grabbing them off the roofs instead.

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

Thanks fl_deb! I am more ticked than anything though. I feel bad for the guinea but I am pretty hot over this., and not sleeping well makes me all the more ill.
Akane I do now only feed in the coop morning and before dusk and they are in, on around it more than ever, throughout the day, but come dusk they head to the trees. I will look in to clipping the wings. Last night after the attack I was up thinking......... lots of poeple have said red flashing lights. What about twinkling, red Christmas lights? Not sure if that has been tried, but I do not mind looking like white trash in the best intrest of the birds. I already have disk hanging which DOES NOT work. Or putting some type of netting on the outside of the tree like wrapping the tree with ck wire or some other netting.
So the pattern is every 3 days, and last night just like the first night the owl is attacking injuring I walk out he goes and hides the birds dies and then he comes in and takes it. I will be hanging the lights today to see what happens and will see about clipping their wings. I just really hate this. Akane your method may very well work but will I have birds alive upon it's completion? I have 13 left and at the rate of 1 every 3 days that gives me 39 days. I will call USDA again today! Trying to keep my cool, but like I have said I am not sleeping well and this along with lack of sleep does not make for a happy girl.

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

Hey I found this site where I can download and burn to a disk owl sounds I wonder if I played this it will help I jsut have to make sure I use the right sounds though.
http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php