Are guineas mean natured?

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Blisschick

Blisschick

not rusty
12 Years
Feb 20, 2007
1,875
44
191
Shepherd, Texas
I've heard people talk about how their guineas would beat up on their chickens, but I thought that was just a thing that happens from time to time. I was given two guinea chicks back in September that were raised with my chicks, and now they're almost as large as my chickens. Recently, they've started picking on a few certain individuals they mingle with. Now I have 4 roos limping and have caught them twice beating the snot out of one particular roo. They've even got a turkey and my sweet little cochin following suit now. I can't have them beating up my chickens, so I'm going to get rid of them.

Is it typical for guineas to be so aggressive, or did I just end up with two meanies? They didn't even want me to handle them when they were babies.
sad.png
 
Just my opinion. If you have quite a few started together with chicks not as many problems, seems anyone trying just a couple seem to have problems, maybe if there are enough guineas they roughhouse amoungst themselves and leave the chickens alone???
 
That's what I was wondering about...maybe if they had more of their kind, they'd keep to themselves and not bother the chickens so much. Unfortunately, my husband hates their squawking, so getting more isn't really an option.
 
I believe they do better in larger groups of their own kind; also, after the "teen years", they get a tiny bit more calm, tend to their own business more. I had to rehome my four guineas after my alpha male decided to kill one of my RIR hens. He'd beat her up every time he saw her, then they all started in on my other RIRs. The other chickens ignored them and vice versa, except when I got Hawkeye. Then Dodger took on Hawkeye. That's when I made my decision to let them go. I miss them and may get more later, but this time, I'll let a broody hen hatch and raise them.
 
My guineas are now 36+ weeks old. It appears they are best when left alone, apart from other fowl. They follow my goats and roost in the goat barn rafters. They are left to forage for 90% or more of their food. Perhaps because they have to forage and I don't have but an occassional feeder out for them they don't have time to be trouble makers? I don't like mixing the different breeds up in one pen any way. All of my fowl are kept to their own kind.
 

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