Behavioral issues, bullying

[minaayindra]

At the end of all this time, the final results were: Gracie hooked up with one of the males and then she became the top banana and her new guy chased and pulled feathers out of the other 2 males to keep them at bay. They, in turn, fought with each other and did a lot of damage. Gracie eventually went to make an outdoor nest and, unexpectedly, the guys left her out there and she was killed by a coyote overnight. Suddenly the 3 males became quite good friends and they do everything together. Before I knew this would happen, I gave some guinea eggs to Goldie and she hatched them. Three lived so now I have to figure out how to integrate them with the guys- I’m guessing I should since the adult guineas are so fascinated with them but we haven’t had an easy time of letting them be in an open area together without one of the big guys going after all 3. The frustration!!

 

[yakitori]

Wow, thanks for the update. I also have three right now, and havent heard a female call yet. It seems like maybe an all male troupe wouldn’t be so bad after all...

 

[My2butterflies]

At the end of all this time, the final results were: Gracie hooked up with one of the males and then she became the top banana and her new guy chased and pulled feathers out of the other 2 males to keep them at bay. They, in turn, fought with each other and did a lot of damage. Gracie eventually went to make an outdoor nest and, unexpectedly, the guys left her out there and she was killed by a coyote overnight. Suddenly the 3 males became quite good friends and they do everything together. Before I knew this would happen, I gave some guinea eggs to Goldie and she hatched them. Three lived so now I have to figure out how to integrate them with the guys- I’m guessing I should since the adult guineas are so fascinated with them but we haven’t had an easy time of letting them be in an open area together without one of the big guys going after all 3. The frustration!!

I was able to add 13 keets to 12 year and a half old adults.
They were kept in a pen inside the coop for a few weeks before being let out with the adults. The adults still haze them a little, but nothing too bad. Shockingly my partially bald guinea hen is the main one that goes after the keets when they are outside free ranging. She will purposely seek them out and run at them. It’s half hearted dashes, so no one is hurt.

Now I’m working on adding in the 4 keets that are a month old. They have been in a pen inside the coop for a week now. I’ll likely keep them penned for 2-3 more weeks before letting them out. But they will be way out numbered by adults and older juveniles. So we will see how that goes.

Have you been keeping yours penned up inside the coop with the adults?

 

[minaayindra]

I was able to add 13 keets to 12 year and a half old adults.
They were kept in a pen inside the coop for a few weeks before being let out with the adults. The adults still haze them a little, but nothing too bad. Shockingly my partially bald guinea hen is the main one that goes after the keets when they are outside free ranging. She will purposely seek them out and run at them. It’s half hearted dashes, so no one is hurt.

Now I’m working on adding in the 4 keets that are a month old. They have been in a pen inside the coop for a week now. I’ll likely keep them penned for 2-3 more weeks before letting them out. But they will be way out numbered by adults and older juveniles. So we will see how that goes.

Have you been keeping yours penned up inside the coop with the adults?

No, they have been staying with their mom since they hatched July 29th. They live in the coop/run immediately adjacent to the adult Guineas and my older guys are fascinated with them, hanging outside their run and trilling softly to them when the keets come outside. I have let them out together (with constant supervision of my standing by the keets) but mom attacked the adult Guineas twice and the third time my adult Guinea low man on the totem pole went after them. I’m sure it will work out but it’s a slow process. The keets are terrified if their mom isn’t with them so they can’t stay away from her to avoid the fighting between mom and the adults.

 

[minaayindra]

Wow, thanks for the update. I also have three right now, and havent heard a female call yet. It seems like maybe an all male troupe wouldn’t be so bad after all...

I think having no girl has been a blessing for this particular group so I highly recommend it! We shall see what happens if there are any females in these keets... we may go back to cage wrestling marathons again.

 

[My2butterflies]

No, they have been staying with their mom since they hatched July 29th. They live in the coop/run immediately adjacent to the adult Guineas and my older guys are fascinated with them, hanging outside their run and trilling softly to them when the keets come outside. I have let them out together (with constant supervision of my standing by the keets) but mom attacked the adult Guineas twice and the third time my adult Guinea low man on the totem pole went after them. I’m sure it will work out but it’s a slow process. The keets are terrified if their mom isn’t with them so they can’t stay away from her to avoid the fighting between mom and the adults.

If you have space in your guinea coop it might be a good idea to separate the keets from their chicken mom and keep them in a small pen inside the main coop. That way they will have lots of exposure to the adults but safe from any attacks.

 

[minaayindra]

If you have space in your guinea coop it might be a good idea to separate the keets from their chicken mom and keep them in a small pen inside the main coop. That way they will have lots of exposure to the adults but safe from any attacks.

I think that is the consensus now. I have to move all of them to a much larger coop, which involves switching the other hens back into the smaller ones. Sounds like a project for the weekend! Thanks-