We have babies!

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Lol..someone asked if I'd trade for quail.,sure..if you can convince the hubby. I just got a lecture on property size. HIS idea. Lol.
I'm pretty sure that predator article I posted said hawks usually eat on the ground, but will at times attempt to fly off with their prey, and often drop it. The way you described the feathers missing, that was 1st thing I thought of. This is the one we had.View attachment 2849521

Is that a Cooper’s hawk, Sydney?

 

[Sydney65]

I didn't have a mouse problem until I started eliminating the skunks. When the skunks started taking eggs out from under broody turkey hens I decided enough was enough.

You'd think the turkey would get a little peeved...

 

[Sydney65]

Is that a Cooper’s hawk, Sydney?

Pretty sure- could be a sharp shinned hawk but don't think so.

https://feederwatch.org/learn/trick...757.565716846.1632860252-498963793.1632860240

 

[R2elk]

You'd think the turkey would get a little peeved...

They would wake me up in the middle of the night when it was happening.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

They would wake me up in the middle of the night when it was happening.

Aw, poor girl! And the skunks don’t attack the turkeys? They just steal eggs? Glad I haven’t had to deal with a skunk!

 

[R2elk]

Aw, poor girl! And the skunks don’t attack the turkeys? They just steal eggs? Glad I haven’t had to deal with a skunk!

I have heard of skunks killing turkeys for other people. The ones here were content to steal eggs or eat newly hatched poults. They were also dining on the layer feed.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

3 week update: things have continued to mostly work, but be difficult and unsettled here. Remind me not to set eggs again in August - it’s just a little too late despite our heat. First off, I still have all 10 keets and will try for pics later today. There is such disparity in size! The runty pastel one is improved amd feathering, but probably less than 1/2 the size of the biggest keet. It no longer looks rough in the mornings, but doesn’t fly as well as it’s bigger siblings. The rest of the keets are also different sizes in between, with one white keet only a little bigger than Pastel.

We have at least three problems still:

1) we seem to have a Cooper’s hawk that is interested in the guineas. I don’t see it often and we haven’t lost another bird, but guineas are still freaked out and stay under cover often. The cover that I recently removed when I thought we had a bobcat predator…

2) Welch is trying to roost with the keets. All but two keets were able to get in the roost last night. She decided to bring them all back to the floor and brood them instead, but it was chaos and two keets chose to roost with adults. The problem with roosting keets is that it’s gotten cool (50s) at night, and keets are only 3 weeks old, plus the other adults will peck at the keets.

3) The flock hasn’t really bonded with the keets. My previous broody hatches were integrated with the flock from the beginning. Due to keeticide, these guys have been only partially integrated. Keets have spent some time with the flock in the coop, but the flock relates oddly to the keets. They kind of treat them like very subordinate adults, pecking them if they approach the feed or are in the adult’s space.

So, today’s plan is to cover the coop ends to provide some weather protection for roosting keets, and to finally let the keets out with mom for a few hours before dark. I didn’t really want to let keets out yet due to the Cooper’s hawk, but they really need to work things out with the flock if they are going to be roosting with them. I’m hoping the flock will be protective of them outside and this will shift their attitude. I’ll be out with them, but I have limited confidence in my ability to ward off the sneak Cooper’s attack. Wish me luck!

 

[Sydney65]

Bella & Mouse never bonded with the others until mating season. I'm not sure how it works when you have birds, but shiny things supposedly scare the hawks. There are shiny whirligigs, tape, etc. Mb if they're ontop of coop out of guineas sight? You cld try making something by wrapping a papertowel roll or something with foil?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Bella & Mouse never bonded with the others until mating season. I'm not sure how it works when you have birds, but shiny things supposedly scare the hawks. There are shiny whirligigs, tape, etc. Mb if they're ontop of coop out of guineas sight? You cld try making something by wrapping a papertowel roll or something with foil?

There are the shiny cds people hang… I could try that though I’ve always been a little skeptical. The guineas are using the coop roofs as lookout stations and I’m not sure whether the CDs would disrupt them too…

 

[Sydney65]

There are the shiny cds people hang… I could try that though I’ve always been a little skeptical. The guineas are using the coop roofs as lookout stations and I’m not sure whether the CDs would disrupt them too…

Neighbor was complaining about wrens on porch - it's been crazy this yr. I told her abtbthem and she offered to get me some, but I declined, bc like you, not sure how they'd react. Rosie stood outside the coop chattering for an hr the other day bc I moved the water jug.