Very sad

[Lots of Birds]

I lost 4 guineas. We have lived at this place for four years now and let our chickens free range on 18 acres and have never lost a bird to predators. We have very secure coops with yards and put our birds in at night.

We just got 12 guineas about 4 months ago, (never had guineas before) they also have a very nice coop with a yard attached. We kept them in their coop and yard until they were 3 months old then turned them out on the property. They were very good at first came back to their yard at night where their food and water was, and we could shut them in.

About 5 days ago they started nesting in the trees at night. We have very large trees around the coops (great for shade) and we could not get them down. Three days ago we came out to one bird missing, feathers everywhere, and one dead bird without a head and part of a wing. Now I'm freaked out but I still can't get the birds in their yard. Two days later two more birds feathers everywhere DURING THE DAY so the birds were on the ground. Now I'm in panic mood, so are the guineas, in their yard and not making a sound.

Now all birds will be kept in their yards, chickens, turkeys, and guineas this SUCKS.
We don't know if we have a coon or a dog/coyote its killing for the fun of it, leaving the birds on the ground.The guineas make so much noise we had ignored their screams, not any more. We now have intercoms in the yards and going to put up wildlife cameras to catch the devil.

I love my animals and the whole point of moving here was to let my birds free range and now I can't. Are my goats next???

 

[jenniferwhite]

I'm so sorry to hear that!

 

[tomingreeneco]

Sounds like a coon. Get a live cage trap (Tractors Supply, Gander Mountain, Cabela's)) and bait it with a small can of cat food, slice of bread with peanut butter on it, sardines or something smelly. Place the trap out at night. You should get it pretty quickly. Do this every night until you do not trap any more for a few days. What you do with the coons is up to you. If you move them far away they will just become a problem for someone else. I would shoot them and be done with it. Then get the guineas inside the coop and keep them there for 3-4 weeks to get them used staying there at night again.