7 week Guineas-1 making female sound... does that mean

[LA~Poulet]

that out of 6 birds I only have one female, or is she just more advanced? One of my lav. keets has been making the two-syllable 'bobwhite' sort of sound, none of the others do it. She's been calling for probably 2 weeks at least in that manner.

Do you think I have one female & 5 males? (that sounds like trouble!)

 

[swampducks]

Don't panic yet, it took a couple months or longer before I heard more than one female.

 

[LA~Poulet]

That's a relief, thank you!

 

[Debbienmousey]

They're only 7 weeks old. I would say that hen is probably just a little more advanced then the others. I generally hear that guineas normally start calling around 8 weeks, so I'd give it some time before you decide anything. (Except of course that you now know you have at least 1 hen out of 6 birds.)

 

[Jonell]

Is the manner or sound they make the only way to tell their gender?
I have 5 7 week old and all look the same, and most are doing call sounds.

 

[LA~Poulet]

Jonell, mine are now about 9 weeks or so (maybe 10?) and they still are virtually identical in appearance. I hope an expert can help you better than I!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I would say the only exact way to sex them is by their calls. You can (supposedly) tell their sex by the shape and size of their helmet, but you have to really know what you're looking for!

 

[Debbienmousey]

Jonell, you can sex them also by their actions. The cocks will occasionally run around with their wing feathers up. (I don't believe the hens do this) But the easiest and most sure way to sex them is to listen to their calls.

Good luck! (Out of 7 8 week old guinea keets so far I only know that I have 1 cock and 2 hens. The rest haven't started calling or holding their feathers up yet.)

 

[Jonell]

Wow thanks for the advice.
I listened to them this morning and 1 is making a Honk-Kee sound.
Like a bicycle horn. What I have read on other post that would be a female( 2 sylab) sound. Others are making a single sound, but I'll have to watch them closer to tell who is making what sound. They are fun to watch though.