Prepare To Have Guineas in the Tree, NOW

[Sydney65]

So last night, I reported that my 3 hens were frightened by a coyote and went to the top of a tree. We called, we shook the millet can, we put down straw, we flooded the back yard with light. We stewed about owls and the cold weather-and all we got back was the angry chatter regarding the coyote who was long gone thanks to a very loud gun.
They stayed in that tree all night, all day today, never moving from their huddle on the same branch. I knew I was losing daylight and had tried everything they say to try, plus some.
Mama is 3, they young ones not yet a yr. None of them had ever gone up a tree before. By this afternoon, Mama was calling plaintively, but she was way too high up for me to get to.
Long story short, I grabbed my tablet,turned up the volume and started playing clips from when the whole gang was still here. They called back, and slowly made their way down the tree & highfooted it to the coop. So everyone is safe and dry, warming up and filling their bellies.
I took Numi out today since it was in the 40°s. I think that might be a good idea- he wasn't afraid of the snow and had a grand ol' time stomping through it.
So make sure you have recordings of your crew.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So last night, I reported that my 3 hens were frightened by a coyote and went to the top of a tree. We called, we shook the millet can, we put down straw, we flooded the back yard with light. We stewed about owls and the cold weather-and all we got back was the angry chatter regarding the coyote who was long gone thanks to a very loud gun.
They stayed in that tree all night, all day today, never moving from their huddle on the same branch. I knew I was losing daylight and had tried everything they say to try, plus some.
Mama is 3, they young ones not yet a yr. None of them had ever gone up a tree before. By this afternoon, Mama was calling plaintively, but she was way too high up for me to get to.
Long story short, I grabbed my tablet,turned up the volume and started playing clips from when the whole gang was still here. They called back, and slowly made their way down the tree & highfooted it to the coop. So everyone is safe and dry, warming up and filling their bellies.
I took Numi out today since it was in the 40°s. I think that might be a good idea- he wasn't afraid of the snow and had a grand ol' time stomping through it.
So make sure you have recordings of your crew.

Oh wow Sydney! Good thing you had the audio to play for them!!! I think mine have a fair amount of practice with this sort of thing as they fly into trees pretty regularly with a threat but come down pretty quickly after it’s all clear. In fact, one reason that I love Ghost is that he trusted my “all clear” when a stray dog showed up and grabbed a young Guinea a few years ago. I yelled at the dog, it took off (leaving a dead Guinea behind) and the surviving guineas were up in trees. After about 15 minutes of looking and confirming that the dog was gone, I called to the treed crew and they just looked at me until Ghost came down. Then the rest slowly followed him down. They let me lead them to the coop and lock them in. I was never so flattered as when Ghost took my word for it that it was safe. Anyway, I’m very glad that your crew came back down!!!

 

[Sydney65]

Oh wow Sydney! Good thing you had the audio to play for them!!! I think mine have a fair amount of practice with this sort of thing as they fly into trees pretty regularly with a threat but come down pretty quickly after it’s all clear. In fact, one reason that I love Ghost is that he trusted my “all clear” when a stray dog showed up and grabbed a young Guinea a few years ago. I yelled at the dog, it took off (leaving a dead Guinea behind) and the surviving guineas were up in trees. After about 15 minutes of looking and confirming that the dog was gone, I called to the treed crew and they just looked at me until Ghost came down. Then the rest slowly followed him down. They let me lead them to the coop and lock them in. I was never so flattered as when Ghost took my word for it that it was safe. Anyway, I’m very glad that your crew came back down!!!

I used to have that trust when I had an actual flock, but other than the boys sparing, they never went in the trees, and other than that whole nesting thing, they stayed close to the house.
Mama is -- different now, jittery. If a bird can be traumatized, she's the poster child for it. She used to call for me to carry her in so she didn't have to touch the snow she just flew over. She was doing that from the top of the tree and sounded pitiful ;not like I coild climb up after her.
The problem is I have her & Mia, who were raised by me- and I have Brodie, who I let Mama raise. So essentially I have a wild bird in with two *tame* ones. Brodie is a bad influence.
I took each out one at a time yesterday, sat with them, soothed and stroked, etc. Mama & Mia were as responsive as I expected, calm, sat in my lap and watched the world go by. Brodie struggled, bit, fussed, finally calmed down and we did the routine, but as soon as I stood to take her back, she struggled, escaped, went to the top of the tree. I finally told her to watch out for the owls. On the bright side, she came down on her own this a.m. & was waiting at the coop for me.
I'm not really keen on the idea of letting her influence Numi, let alone this spring's batch. I may end up keeping separate coops, if the dingbat survives that long.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I used to have that trust when I had an actual flock, but other than the boys sparing, they never went in the trees, and other than that whole nesting thing, they stayed close to the house.
Mama is -- different now, jittery. If a bird can be traumatized, she's the poster child for it. She used to call for me to carry her in so she didn't have to touch the snow she just flew over. She was doing that from the top of the tree and sounded pitiful ;not like I coild climb up after her.
The problem is I have her & Mia, who were raised by me- and I have Brodie, who I let Mama raise. So essentially I have a wild bird in with two *tame* ones. Brodie is a bad influence.
I took each out one at a time yesterday, sat with them, soothed and stroked, etc. Mama & Mia were as responsive as I expected, calm, sat in my lap and watched the world go by. Brodie struggled, bit, fussed, finally calmed down and we did the routine, but as soon as I stood to take her back, she struggled, escaped, went to the top of the tree. I finally told her to watch out for the owls. On the bright side, she came down on her own this a.m. & was waiting at the coop for me.
I'm not really keen on the idea of letting her influence Numi, let alone this spring's batch. I may end up keeping separate coops, if the dingbat survives that long.

Well your birds are in a very different situation from mine. Mine have to survive mostly on their own or be locked up while the threat passes. But they can’t eat ticks when they were locked up so that can only be temporary. So, ours have had to figure out how to fly into trees, come back down, etc. They’ve also become very hawk aware as our most recent losses were to hawks last summer and fall. Sadly, I recently lost one of last summer’s babies, Merlot. He just disappeared so I don’t know what happened, but we’ve had a red tailed hawk that keeps hanging out until the crows chase it off. The guineas get very upset about the hawk and hide in brush then alarm call for a while after the crows chase it off, so I expect Merlot was another hawk loss.

I don’t think our guineas will ever learn cars and not to cross the street though. They think it’s spring so keep going across the street to our neighbors million dollar houses. I went over to herd them back and the neighbor responded by putting up a wrought iron fence so I can’t even herd them back now… It could be that Merlot was shot or eaten by a neighbors dog too. Or even run over on the road then picked up by someone or something. We’ve been working hard in the run, and I’ll be locking them in until noon to see if that takes the edge off of the wandering!

 

[Sydney65]

Well your birds are in a very different situation from mine. Mine have to survive mostly on their own or be locked up while the threat passes. But they can’t eat ticks when they were locked up so that can only be temporary. So, ours have had to figure out how to fly into trees, come back down, etc. They’ve also become very hawk aware as our most recent losses were to hawks last summer and fall. Sadly, I recently lost one of last summer’s babies, Merlot. He just disappeared so I don’t know what happened, but we’ve had a red tailed hawk that keeps hanging out until the crows chase it off. The guineas get very upset about the hawk and hide in brush then alarm call for a while after the crows chase it off, so I expect Merlot was another hawk loss.

I don’t think our guineas will ever learn cars and not to cross the street though. They think it’s spring so keep going across the street to our neighbors million dollar houses. I went over to herd them back and the neighbor responded by putting up a wrought iron fence so I can’t even herd them back now… It could be that Merlot was shot or eaten by a neighbors dog too. Or even run over on the road then picked up by someone or something. We’ve been working hard in the run, and I’ll be locking them in until noon to see if that takes the edge off of the wandering!

They do watch the hawks but don't freak out over them. I'd not really ever seen them in the state they got into over the coyote.
I'm tempted..the garden is in raised beds up front. The new coop will be my current garden shed, which is something like 16x12, I think. I measured it a few months ago.
So the shed will go in back,bche's adding a garage this yr. I'm tempted to relocate the garden..and all that soil...to the back..and enclosing it so they have free range in there when not out with me. That'd keep the rabbits out, too.
So if I disappear in a few months, you'll know I went for it & dropped dead.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

They do watch the hawks but don't freak out over them. I'd not really ever seen them in the state they got into over the coyote.
I'm tempted..the garden is in raised beds up front. The new coop will be my current garden shed, which is something like 16x12, I think. I measured it a few months ago.
So the shed will go in back,bche's adding a garage this yr. I'm tempted to relocate the garden..and all that soil...to the back..and enclosing it so they have free range in there when not out with me. That'd keep the rabbits out, too.
So if I disappear in a few months, you'll know I went for it & dropped dead.

Well I’ve been working to get the Guinea run finished before the guineas decide it’s spring and get adventurous in their exploration. I was too slow so ended up hiring a couple of college students to help out. It was pricey, but I should be able to lock the guineas up this Sunday!