Something killed my guinea.

[Drake1986]

This is the first time I have ever lost one of my birds in all the years I have been raising birds. So I walked to the coop to let the birds out in to their run (with no top) and there was feathers all over and a dead guinea a few feet away not near the edge of the run. She was all ripped up so I think it wasn't a raccoon. I know my predators and how they kill chickens in their own way but I'm thinking this was an owl. There is no feather tracks and looks like it actually ate some of the guinea. I think it's weird though because I have a rooster that came from no were and he decided to call this home and one of my hens that sleep on the fence. But that fence is about 12 feet away from the coop. And quail in a coop on the ground and bantums in their hutch right under were the rooster sleeps at night. Why didn't the get killed to? I'm happy they didn't though. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

What is your location?

To me it sounds more like a raccoon than an owl. IME owls and foxes take the whole body, and raccoons just eat the parts they want and leave the rest behind.

 

[B Redhawk]

That indeed sounds like a raccoon kill instead of an owl. An owl will haul off the body to finish the meal, hawks too haul the body off as do foxes. A coon usually rips the chicken open and eats some of the breast meat, leaving most of the meat behind. Coons will also kill just to kill.

 

[Drake1986]

Huh I just think it's weird that the raccoon wouldn't get into the quail coop or the hutches or millstone hen or the rooster sleeping on the fence. I also had a guinea in the run that is blind in one eye. And she is fine. I'm in north eastern Ohio. Thanks

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Was the guinea in the coop or run or outside of it, ie where did it sleep and where did you find the body? That's a bit unclear.

It could be that something scared it away before it could explore and find other "goodies" in the vicinity. You can almost guarantee that whatever it is will be back though so it's time to get serious about predator proofing.

 

[drumstick diva]

Maybe the pred just wanted a light snack. Not trying to be facetious - I just figure sometimes they kill just because they like doing it.

 

[Drake1986]

I've been keeping a good ear out at night. It was in the run outside the coop. Nothing has been back since but I have been getting all them inside and keeping a dog outside but the hen and the rooster still sleep outside.