Something got in and killed my Guineas: Fortification Material post 20

[PeepsCA]

Oh man Deb, I'm so sorry.

I can't even imagine how awful you felt walking up onto that scene

That had to be quite a blow for you to take after having raised them, watched them grow and put so much time and work into them and I feel so bad for you. Do not blame yourself tho, predators are ruthless opportunists. If you need more keets let me know (I'm expecting a lot of Pearls and RPs to hatch Mon or Tues)... Just pay the shipping and they are yours if you want them, I still have one more chickbox, (I'll need to get watermelon tho, lol). Hope the youngin's stay safe

So sorry you had to go thru this.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Thank you Peeps.... I am done raising fuzzballs for now. Moms garage was convenient but not the best environment for sure. Next year though. For sure. I have one Brown female youngster that's BuckWheating her head off and several of the lavenders and I think a Royal Purple or two. By next year I will have Keet and chick spaces within the coop. Safe secure with fresh air and good light.... I may even try some hatching of my own...

 

[melroseladi]

I am so sorry for your loss. I read all of your posts and know how hard you have been working. The fear of walking out on a scene like that really stops me from expanding my flock as much as I want to since I have to do most of the work myself and am on limited income so providing a predator proof habitat is proving tough.

Prayers and good thoughts going out your way that things will go better for you.

 

[southern oaks]

Just so sick to hear about your loss. We try so hard to keep them safe and then something like this happens. I just know you are heartbroke and sick. Hopefully what ever it was won't be back till you can fix the other part. I have had luck so far with my guineas, ducks, rabbits and goats. But I do think my great pyranees does take care of most things. He barks all night and marks his spot all around my houses and cages.. Hope you get that fixed and don't get another visit.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[mick&cori]

OMGOSH Deb. I'm so sorry. That just brought tears to my eyes. I went through that a month ago and lost 3 of my chickens to racoons. I walked into a pile of feathers and blood.
I'm just so heart broken for you.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I am so sorry for you! I know how you feel!

It has happened to me on several occasions with chickens. And I hate that my Guinea girl is on a nest now BUT I do have a LGD which has been such a lifesaver since I got her a year ago. I highly recommend getting one.
They can't do everything but they sure save enough lives to merit feeding and caring for them. I have lost only a few birds since she has been here but my chickens are spread out all over 8 acres and when she is in one end the hawks seem to know it and strike on the other side of the farm.

Don't beat yourself up over it. A simple mistake and you will learn from it. Thank goodness the kids are still safe and you can move forward.

 

[Balefire]

This bad new let my heart cry...............Send a lot of positiv energy to you, hope you feel better soon..

 

[perchie.girl]

Sigh.... thank you every one.... I just got home and am sick, tired, and sad. Found two more this time it was littleuns.... counted beaks and I am down a total of four littleuns.

Got up there at around 11:30 am. It was over a hundred up there. I am at about 380 lbs and walk with a cane so my stamina isnt the best. But in small steps I took down a spare dog panel the goats don't need. Had to move the big fence some but only had to rest twice. I was sitting on one of the goat toys catching my breath with my eyes shut and focusing in on the wind cooling my sweat.... an I feel a very light whisker touch on my forehead. Rikki was checking on me. He is a rascal but a very very sweet goat. "you Ok Maaaa?" Yep just hot.... "Ok" and he walked back to the shade. I hear them some times its wierd I know....

Thank goodness the kennel panels only weigh about fifteen pounds just unwieldly. Then moved a chair in the shade of the only tree which is next to the coop. Sat and cooled off again. and from where I was sitting I could reach panel clamps for the coop. I put pipe on the garage doors so that I could simply clamp the Kennel panels to the garage doors. The littluns were practicing hopping up on their perch and down.... up and down.... They were very very quiet. Though they know how to buck wheat they were back to their whistles.... The little girls were doing Whit Whew... like a wolf whisle. Every time I made a change they would bunch up and give me the stink eye..... But very very quiet.

Then I pulled the front coop panel out about a foot and started feeding in the new panel across the offending area. Omg... the curiosity.... First thing they did was jam themselves between the kennel panel and the garage door eying every thing..... I had to shoo them out to get the panel in place. I worked it into position and got it clamped in place.... Top bottom and overhead. Then I had to sit down. While i was sitting and resting I spotted a weak spot along the chainlink between the littleun coop and the bigun coop. But I could tell my energy was failing for good. So I took a whole roll of plastic cage wire wrapper and all and jammed it in the space and backed it with the Feed Can that weighs about seventy five pounds. I retrieved the biguns perch and brought it into the littleuns cage to give them more perching space. I am using two saw horses right now to make perch supports.

those cheapo folding plastic saw horses that come in a package of two are perfect perch supports And they also have space under them perfect for putting the water dishes in.... To keep them cleaner. And they have a shelf mid way which would make a pretty pleasing nesting spot later on. So now with two perches the littleuns were enjoying hopping up hopping across and hopping down..... Kind of like the Flying Walendas.... still smitten still very sad.

I finally finished up and went to the house for some water. and to cool off. Then I had to go drop off the hay for the horse. I sat and drank more water (went through a gallon) and finally fired the truck up to leave. I noticed at Cell phone hill there was a plain colored vehicle sitting there with back windows tinted and side back windows with police grates and fans in those grates. The border patrol is beginning to use German shepherds now and I think they were training. I get down to the road and head for the highway.

Once on the freeway I set the truck in cruise control and grabbed another swig of water. My air conditioning in the truck doesn't work so I had my window open and the passenger window about a quarter. I turned a little to set the jug down and looked up JUST as I hit a swarm of bees. Were talking so thick I couldn't see through them. And right away a mess of them hit me in the shoulder and neck and arm. Yep I got stung probably about six or seven times..... Keeping my head I slowed some but I didn't swerve. Most of the ones that made it into the cab were already dead. The stings hurt but not like when a mad one stings you.... I made it to the golden acorn casino off ramp and headed for a cul-de-sac on the Reservation side. I parked and hopped out and WHIPPED off my shirt.... About nine bees fell out of the folds some were stuck with their own juices and I had to shake it out. Thank goodness I was wearing a sports bra.... But I suspect the two cars that passed by werent too terribly interested in looking at a 380 lb half dressed woman shaking bees out. LOL.

All the way to the border patrol check point I kept feeling for swelling or clenching up of my throat. I havent been stung in about twenty years and sometimes your physiology changes. All good. Actually no real pain either.... yay on that.

On a good note tomorrow I am picking up cage wire broken down from four walk in cages built by the same cage company that I bought mine the people just don't want them any more. So It looks like I can do the big coop conversion pretty soon. One four by six by six aviary sells for about 400 bucks new.

so coop is patched, Keets left are healthy and undamaged, Clean water, fresh food, Two perches..... and a plan for the next couple of weeks. Gawd I hope I stopped it.....

 

[perchie.girl]

Here is the cage material some one gave me. there is enough ten guage material here to cover 96 linear feet of coop. Like I said 10 gauge wires with 1/2 x 3 inch spacing. Anything that can get through that is edible.

This is four aviaries broken down all self supporting no need of frame if put together correctly. On the very bottom of the piles are four panels that have human doors complete with lockable gate latches. Added to the ones i have allready (from the same manufacturer by the way) and I will have seven doors.