Guinea talk.

[lilybug51]

View attachment 1112470 The two little babies I got are getting big! Hubby let me keep them in a open cage in house on a divider wall so they are at eye level. Lots of talking, handling, and meal worms have gone a long way to liking us! You guys were right about the lavender I think. Not sure about the other. Purple or grey.
View attachment 1112468

top guy looks to be pearl, bottom guy looks like a lavender

 

[MartinsPoultry]

Jumbo guineas are getting so big! And Lee has bonded with the 16 jumbos.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

How can you tell a female guinea from a male? I have a young Coral Blue guinea, fully feathered and growing a knob on it's head, and have no idea what the sex is. I can try to get pics too

 

[GlennLee]

The only definite way is to isolate them and watch to see who makes the buckwheat or come back call. Females are the only onesnthat make that call. Sometimes they don't need to be isolated you can just watch them. I have found that if they are quiet though, isolating them will make them talk pretty quickly! Additional characteristics include larger wattles on the male. Pictures will help, but I have to say I have been fooled by large wattles in the past. I've thought they were a male and they end up being female. Would love to see photos of them. I bet they are beautiful!

 

[lilybug51]

How can you tell a female guinea from a male? I have a young Coral Blue guinea, fully feathered and growing a knob on it's head, and have no idea what the sex is. I can try to get pics too

You can hear the calls on YouTube that's the only way I've been able to tell the difference. I have 4 grown pearl "the mamas" all female and a new fleet of lavenders (only one of them is calling female).

 

[Tlmcq]

I have an issue with my guinea egg layer. She will lay a good super hard shelled egg and then skip a day or so and then lay 2 soft shelled ones. They have oyster shell out and are on a mix of 18% layer feed and 22% meatbird feed due to the fact that I have a mixed flock. Is there anything I can do to help her out. I wasn't sure I had a male n female til I found a soft shelled egg and when I busted it the egg was fertile. One is bigger than the other but other and the smaller has 2 all white flight feathers at end of wing but this is only difference so far. They are about 5 or so months old

 

[lilybug51]

I have an issue with my guinea egg layer. She will lay a good super hard shelled egg and then skip a day or so and then lay 2 soft shelled ones. They have oyster shell out and are on a mix of 18% layer feed and 22% meatbird feed due to the fact that I have a mixed flock. Is there anything I can do to help her out. I wasn't sure I had a male n female til I found a soft shelled egg and when I busted it the egg was fertile. One is bigger than the other but other and the smaller has 2 all white flight feathers at end of wing but this is only difference so far. They are about 5 or so months old

Im having the same issue with all 4 of my juvenile hens. I was hoping it was just because they were young. Mine are infertile, no males in their flock. I'm also getting really tiny round eggs. Very interested in any responses you get.

 

[guineapeeps]

I have an issue with my guinea egg layer. She will lay a good super hard shelled egg and then skip a day or so and then lay 2 soft shelled ones. They have oyster shell out and are on a mix of 18% layer feed and 22% meatbird feed due to the fact that I have a mixed flock. Is there anything I can do to help her out. I wasn't sure I had a male n female til I found a soft shelled egg and when I busted it the egg was fertile. One is bigger than the other but other and the smaller has 2 all white flight feathers at end of wing but this is only difference so far. They are about 5 or so months old

Im having the same issue with all 4 of my juvenile hens. I was hoping it was just because they were young. Mine are infertile, no males in their flock. I'm also getting really tiny round eggs. Very interested in any responses you get.

It may be because your hens are young and it should work itself out as they get older. I would try and up the protein content in their food, if possible and continue to make sure they have oyster shell available to them at all times. I have had soft shelled, shell-less eggs, and tiny "fart" or "fairy" eggs a few times, but it's mostly been in my younger hens and seemed to occur during really hot weather. I never had a persistent problem with it and it resolved as my guinea hens got older.
Here is a good article about egg problems and causes:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[Tlmcq]

Thanks for input. They are on a mix of 18% layer and 22% meatbird feed. I have a mixed flock so this is best I could figure to do. They are free range also and have access to oyster shell so hopefully will straighten itself out as she matures.

 

[yoopergirl1211]

What age can you tell tge calls?

my royal purple guys are doing well!