MY GUINEAS ARE ATTACKING MY HENS NOW HELP

[okiechick57]

Sorry about the lousy video........but this is how it went all day today......Guineas were screaming all afternoon for no apparent reason and then they started what you see...and it got worse !
I would like to know if anyone else has had this happen......they all have been raised together.......all are bout 5 months old and all of the sudden the Guineas...2 male 1 female are attacking my hens and my rooster..they leave one barred rock hen completely alone.she is older and without a rooster of her own.........so I was thinking maybe this was a "mating" problem.........they beat the crud out of my hens once they catch them.......pecking their heads like mad.............chased them all afternoon.............help !

 

[ozark hen]

so sorry, Okie, I have not have the problem of them attacking my chickens but I have had two of them attack each other which I posted in Other Poultry this morning.

 

[birdnutz]

I don't know why they're attacking the hens,but I had 3 guineas 1-male,2-females and my male attacked and killed 2 roosters.I figured it was about territory. So I hatched out 10 more guineas to give him something else to worry about. It did work,more hens and male guineas and he was too busy chasing them to worry about the chickens.I still have to be on top of getting the coop opened first thing in the morning though. Otherwise my roosters tend to loose tail feathers.

 

[okiechick57]

un Help.... help............this won't stop !

my Guineas have turned on me...........they will find a new home and fast if they dont stop soon !!!!!

 

[KrisRose]

Are Guineas edible??

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Yes and quite tasty, from what I hear.

 

[ozark hen]

that is just crazy!! I never heard of them doing that before. we need some experts in here and fast!

 

[jessied1227]

Maybe drop an e-mail to Speckledhen, I believe I read about her having to get rid of her guineas because they were attacking her chickens.

Sorry I can't be of more help.
Jess

 

[okiechick57]

Well. thanks girls....guess they have gone mad.

....... I will rehome them to someone who only has guineas I guess., It is sad for me though.

........ I loved them until yesterday.today is less....but still picking on them all BUT the speckled hen........which just puzzles me to no end........will ask specklehen.........

 

[wren]

I'm no expert, but I think that the problem is that the males are misplacing their aggression and what one guinea does they all do, so the hen is joining in. It's happening now b/c the males hormones are finally kicking in. They both want the one female and b/c of the living situation that they are in they can't compete for her and win in a natural way, (they like a ton of outside space) they are attacking whoever will let them get away with it. From what I've read, if all males or females are kept together they don't fight. There's nobody of the opposite sex to fight for. Lots of people in the country only keep males and sell the females at auction b/c they make the buckwheat noise while males don't.

You need to get at least one other female two would be better as one male will cover multiple girls or get rid of the girl you have. If you seperate her from the others it will have to be somewhere they can't hear her. I wouldn't ever have just one male either as he probably will fight the roos.

I don't know if it will stop right away, but it might. My only other idea it to spray the offenders with a hose.

Keep us posted.