Guinea talk.

[R2elk]

Bird 1 has been sick or injured for WEEKS now, and we keep expecting that it will fade away... but it just keeps hanging on. It has limited mobility, so never ranges with the flock, but it still hobbles around well enough that I have to look for it in the fenced garden where the flock has their nighttime shelter... it seems to eat and drink just well enough to stay alive (we keep feed and water out for this one, because it can't forage properly) - it's definitely skinny, and the feathers on its breast are worn off because it sort of scooches around a lot of the time, though when truly alarmed, it will get up and stagger around on unsteady legs for short distances. Seems like it's not getting worse and it's not getting better. You'll sometimes hear it calling out to the flock, they answer ... Any idea what is wrong with my bird?

No guarantees but your keet may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency. See this post for a solution to try.

 

[lilybug51]

I have a hen with a foot injury...do I catch her with a net and try to treat it or let it heal on its own?

 

[guineapeeps]

Hi - I'm new to this thread. I was referred over here by guineapeeps. I have a small flock of guineas (12 birds), hatched right at the end of May, and just recently released to free range. As everyone said they would, they move around in this noisy, honking, screeching group like they're being controlled by the Hive Mind. EXCEPT for two birds, and maybe you guys can help me figure out their deal.

Bird 1 has been sick or injured for WEEKS now, and we keep expecting that it will fade away... but it just keeps hanging on. It has limited mobility, so never ranges with the flock, but it still hobbles around well enough that I have to look for it in the fenced garden where the flock has their nighttime shelter... it seems to eat and drink just well enough to stay alive (we keep feed and water out for this one, because it can't forage properly) - it's definitely skinny, and the feathers on its breast are worn off because it sort of scooches around a lot of the time, though when truly alarmed, it will get up and stagger around on unsteady legs for short distances. Seems like it's not getting worse and it's not getting better. You'll sometimes hear it calling out to the flock, they answer ... Any idea what is wrong with my bird?

Bird 2 seems to be exponentially more stupid than the rest of them, which is saying something. It gets lost/separated from the group on a regular basis. It will FREAK OUT and start calling for the flock, and they FREAK OUT and answer it, and sometimes they're like 100 yards away and visible, yet Dingbat can't seem to find them. When the flock moves, Dingbat will often get distracted by chasing down a bug to eat, and then they move on and Dingbat is left behind and lost. Everyone else is learning where the garden gate is so that they can go out in the morning and back in at night .... but Dingbat needs help EVERY TIME. Any idea why this one particular bird doesn't follow the group like everyone else?

Probably doesn't matter, but they are all ordinary pearl guineas.

Does the injured/sick bird have any visiable injury or malformation? One of my guineas broke her foot when she was little and "scooted" around like you describe for almost a year. She would hang out in the coop while everyone went out to free range because she couldn't keep up with the others. She eventually learned to compensate for her injury and after about a year, she started free ranging with the others. She always walked funny, though, and waddled around by walking on the back part of her lower legs below the hock joint. I would catch her if you can and see if you can find signs of injury to rule that out.
As for Dingbat, I wouldn't worry too much. I would always have 1 or 2 guineas that didn't seem quite as intelligent as the others . There were always a few in my flock that had a terrible time figuring how to get out of the coop in the morning. They would run along the fence line and act like they had no idea where the gate was even though they went out it hundreds of times. Sometimes, I would chase them out, but if I didn't they would eventually find their way out. If they got separated from the others while outside the coop/run, they would eventually make their way back home and wait for the others to come back. Also, with being young and just started to free range, it may take your guineas some time to figure out how everything works.

 

[guineapeeps]

I have a hen with a foot injury...do I catch her with a net and try to treat it or let it heal on its own?

What happened to her? How bad is it and what part of the foot is it on? Can you catch her and take some pictures? If you can post some pictures of the injury it may help to see what the problem is. If not, than a description of what happened and what it looks like would help too.

 

[guineapeeps]

Hi - I'm new to this thread. I was referred over here by guineapeeps. I have a small flock of guineas (12 birds), hatched right at the end of May, and just recently released to free range. As everyone said they would, they move around in this noisy, honking, screeching group like they're being controlled by the Hive Mind. EXCEPT for two birds, and maybe you guys can help me figure out their deal.

Bird 1 has been sick or injured for WEEKS now, and we keep expecting that it will fade away... but it just keeps hanging on. It has limited mobility, so never ranges with the flock, but it still hobbles around well enough that I have to look for it in the fenced garden where the flock has their nighttime shelter... it seems to eat and drink just well enough to stay alive (we keep feed and water out for this one, because it can't forage properly) - it's definitely skinny, and the feathers on its breast are worn off because it sort of scooches around a lot of the time, though when truly alarmed, it will get up and stagger around on unsteady legs for short distances. Seems like it's not getting worse and it's not getting better. You'll sometimes hear it calling out to the flock, they answer ... Any idea what is wrong with my bird?

Bird 2 seems to be exponentially more stupid than the rest of them, which is saying something. It gets lost/separated from the group on a regular basis. It will FREAK OUT and start calling for the flock, and they FREAK OUT and answer it, and sometimes they're like 100 yards away and visible, yet Dingbat can't seem to find them. When the flock moves, Dingbat will often get distracted by chasing down a bug to eat, and then they move on and Dingbat is left behind and lost. Everyone else is learning where the garden gate is so that they can go out in the morning and back in at night .... but Dingbat needs help EVERY TIME. Any idea why this one particular bird doesn't follow the group like everyone else?

Probably doesn't matter, but they are all ordinary pearl guineas.

Btw...I had to laugh at your "hive mind" description. That describes it perfectly! I've been trying to find the words to describe how they move as one big conglomeration of feathered frenzy and hive mind is very fitting!

 

[MIChickandGuinea]

Does the injured/sick bird have any visiable injury or malformation? One of my guineas broke her foot when she was little and "scooted" around like you describe for almost a year. She would hang out in the coop while everyone went out to free range because she couldn't keep up with the others. She eventually learned to compensate for her injury and after about a year, she started free ranging with the others. She always walked funny, though, and waddled around by walking on the back part of her lower legs below the hock joint. I would catch her if you can and see if you can find signs of injury to rule that out.
As for Dingbat, I wouldn't worry too much. I would always have 1 or 2 guineas that didn't seem quite as intelligent as the others . There were always a few in my flock that had a terrible time figuring how to get out of the coop in the morning. They would run along the fence line and act like they had no idea where the gate was even though they went out it hundreds of times. Sometimes, I would chase them out, but if I didn't they would eventually find their way out. If they got separated from the others while outside the coop/run, they would eventually make their way back home and wait for the others to come back. Also, with being young and just started to free range, it may take your guineas some time to figure out how everything works.

We have looked the injured bird over many times and can't see anything wrong or broken, but the way you describe your bird walking is just like ours does. In case it's a vitamin deficiency, I just gave a concentrated water bottle with poultry nutri-drench in it, just for the sick-o.

 

[lilybug51]

What happened to her? How bad is it and what part of the foot is it on? Can you catch her and take some pictures? If you can post some pictures of the injury it may help to see what the problem is. If not, than a description of what happened and what it looks like would help too.

My hens are pretty wild, I can't actually touch them. They free range during the day and come back to a run at night which is enclosed with hardware cloth. I saw her limping while they were free ranging yesterday. She came back last night and was still limping but moving along ok. This morning I went up to let them out and she hardly wanted to bear weight on it. I decided to keep them in the run today for her safety. It looks to be a toe or at least a foot problem her leg seems fine. I'm worried I might do her more harm trying to catch her.

 

[guineapeeps]

We have looked the injured bird over many times and can't see anything wrong or broken, but the way you describe your bird walking is just like ours does. In case it's a vitamin deficiency, I just gave a concentrated water bottle with poultry nutri-drench in it, just for the sick-o.

Here is a picture of the hen that I was talking about. She is the pearl gray that is looking at the camera. You can tell she can't stand up straight but is resting on the back part of her legs. This is how she got around. She eventually became quite fast at walking like that and could keep up with the others the summer following the injury. I'm not sure how it happened...I just found her like that one day when she was about a month old. At first, I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her but finally noticed that one of her toes was deformed and was pretty sure it was broken. I wasn't able to fix it but she eventually bounced back and compensated for it without much of a problem. It took awhile to get there and she got to be a productive member of the flock. She hatched her own keets when she was a year old. After that, she never layed any eggs but would lay on other hens eggs that I gave her and raised keets from other hens and always helped the younger hens raise their keets as well. Overall, despite her injury and slow start, she was the best guinea hen I ever had....very affectionate for a guinea and definitely my favorite!

 

[guineapeeps]

My hens are pretty wild, I can't actually touch them. They free range during the day and come back to a run at night which is enclosed with hardware cloth. I saw her limping while they were free ranging yesterday. She came back last night and was still limping but moving along ok. This morning I went up to let them out and she hardly wanted to bear weight on it. I decided to keep them in the run today for her safety. It looks to be a toe or at least a foot problem her leg seems fine. I'm worried I might do her more harm trying to catch her.

Can you see any swelling or bleeding anywhere?
I would continue to keep at least that particular guinea inside (or all of them if your not able to just keep that one in) for a few days so she can rest it and recuperate a little. Also, make sure the other guineas are not picking on her or going after her because she is injured.

 

[lilybug51]

Can you see any swelling or bleeding anywhere?
I would continue to keep at least that particular guinea inside (or all of them if your not able to just keep that one in) for a few days so she can rest it and recuperate a little. Also, make sure the other guineas are not picking on her or going after her because she is injured.

no bleeding definitely seems swollen where all the toes come together (her foot?). I have 4 laying guinea hens that make up that flock and she is clearly the girl in charge so they aren't picking on her. I also have 14 almost mature guinea keets in there who jump when the big girls tell them too. LOL