Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2006 13:12:56 GMT -5
We have rabbits, deer and birds. And not very many raptors, although there are a few. I WISH we had something to keep the rabbits and the deer in check but the only "predators" in this area seem to be cars and shotguns.
But to put your mind at ease, some people around here who have ponds DO have raccoons. We have no water around us for almost 2 miles, and they apparently don't seem to want to travel this far for chicken when there's other chickens closer to their water supply. Maybe some day I'll have a raccoon problem, but I'd think with all the noise these birds make, if some were going to show up, they would have by now.
Rich said to try leaving the guineas out at night and see what happened, so the last two nights I've left them on their perch. I figured if anything happened, I'd hear about it! But all was quiet both nights... I don't think I'm going to continue to leave them out, though, because they don't know about cold weather, and they haven't yet learned that it will be warmer in the coop, so I think it's better that they get in the habit of going inside with the chickens each night, otherwise I might find them outside frozen when it gets really cold. I know it's their instinct to roost up high at night, and they obviously love spending the night out, but they're not in their natural environment here, and I suppose if I still want to have guineas in the spring, I'd better try to change their behavior. Don't know if it will work, but I'm going to try, anyway.
~Lannie
But to put your mind at ease, some people around here who have ponds DO have raccoons. We have no water around us for almost 2 miles, and they apparently don't seem to want to travel this far for chicken when there's other chickens closer to their water supply. Maybe some day I'll have a raccoon problem, but I'd think with all the noise these birds make, if some were going to show up, they would have by now.
Rich said to try leaving the guineas out at night and see what happened, so the last two nights I've left them on their perch. I figured if anything happened, I'd hear about it! But all was quiet both nights... I don't think I'm going to continue to leave them out, though, because they don't know about cold weather, and they haven't yet learned that it will be warmer in the coop, so I think it's better that they get in the habit of going inside with the chickens each night, otherwise I might find them outside frozen when it gets really cold. I know it's their instinct to roost up high at night, and they obviously love spending the night out, but they're not in their natural environment here, and I suppose if I still want to have guineas in the spring, I'd better try to change their behavior. Don't know if it will work, but I'm going to try, anyway.
~Lannie