Can a guinea die of loneliness?

[GoodGuinea]

4yo guinea cock died after being alone for several weeks. The other birds were nearby, but he couldn't see them. He seemed healthy yesterday, and I found him dead under his roost today. His food was full and dry. He had plenty of water, although it had gotten a little dirty. I wonder if the stress of solitude was what did him in.

He was living in a small, well-ventilated coop with a run. I worried about him being on his own during the cold, but he made it. And now that the temperature is going up again (mid-40s during the day), that's when he dies? I can't figure it out. All I can think of is how stressful it may have been for him to be alone, especially not even being able to see the others.

(I can explain why he was separated if you want, but otherwise I won't get into it. It was supposed to be more temporary. There were several difficult situations that compounded on each other, and a very short time to find a solution.)

 

[CHlCKEN]

I’m sorry for your loss. Can you explain why he was separated?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Yes. I received a rescue Lavender Guinea cock (Eagle) a few years ago (his original flock was killed.). I had other Lavenders so he stayed with them. Unfortunately he broke his wing. We did our best to fix it, but he never could fly again. A little bit of time passed and we had to re-home my guineas. Because Eagle couldn't fly, he stayed. He befriended a mute rooster (Simon) and they always had each other's back. Unfortunately Simon died. After Simon died Eagle went downhill. He stayed by himself and hid most of the time. His favorite place to be was in the bottom box of my nesting box. Then, it was at the end of March, I found him in his favorite spot. He died of a broken heart, but also, from loneliness.

So sorry for your loss.

 

[GoodGuinea]

I’m sorry for your loss. Can you explain why he was separated?

Thanks. Sure, I can explain. It's just a long story and I wasn't sure if anyone would want to hear it.

I've raised guineas for a few years, but I'm phasing them out and moving on to chickens. I had 3 left, two females and a male. The females get along great with my chickens, but the male, "Snapper," just couldn't adjust no matter what we did, or how long they had to get to know each other through a wire barrier. So we built a small, separate coop for the guineas. Unfortunately, Snapper decided he also didn't like the smaller female guinea. Maybe it was like that before, but now she couldn't get away from him in the smaller area. So we moved her back in with the chickens, and everything was fine for a while. Snapper and his last hen got along well, until the hen developed gout in her legs and he started pecking at her feet all the time. I moved her in with the others then, and hoped it would just be temporary.

So now Snapper was alone, even thought it seemed better for everyone else. But the small coop was a few feet away from the big main coop, and they could all see each other when they went out in their runs. It seemed okay until the bad weather hit this winter. So much snow! I had to put plastic over both of the runs. I left a side of each open for ventilation, but they couldn't see each other anymore. I planned to take the plastic down as soon as the snow stopped, but by that it had piled so high that I couldn't dig the small coop out. I kept the one side clear so he still had sunlight and ventilation, but he was very alone for nearly 4 weeks.

 

[GoodGuinea]

Yes. I received a rescue Lavender Guinea cock (Eagle) a few years ago (his original flock was killed.). I had other Lavenders so he stayed with them. Unfortunately he broke his wing. We did our best to fix it, but he never could fly again. A little bit of time passed and we had to re-home my guineas. Because Eagle couldn't fly, he stayed. He befriended a mute rooster (Simon) and they always had each other's back. Unfortunately Simon died. After Simon died Eagle went downhill. He stayed by himself and hid most of the time. His favorite place to be was in the bottom box of my nesting box. Then, it was at the end of March, I found him in his favorite spot. He died of a broken heart, but also, from loneliness.

So sorry for your loss.

Thank you. I'm sorry for your loss too. It's heartbreaking to lose a bird this way!

 

[MrsTush]

Thanks. Sure, I can explain. It's just a long story and I wasn't sure if anyone would want to hear it.

I've raised guineas for a few years, but I'm phasing them out and moving on to chickens. I had 3 left, two females and a male. The females get along great with my chickens, but the male, "Snapper," just couldn't adjust no matter what we did, or how long they had to get to know each other through a wire barrier. So we built a small, separate coop for the guineas. Unfortunately, Snapper decided he also didn't like the smaller female guinea. Maybe it was like that before, but now she couldn't get away from him in the smaller area. So we moved her back in with the chickens, and everything was fine for a while. Snapper and his last hen got along well, until the hen developed gout in her legs and he started pecking at her feet all the time. I moved her in with the others then, and hoped it would just be temporary.

So now Snapper was alone, even thought it seemed better for everyone else. But the small coop was a few feet away from the big main coop, and they could all see each other when they went out in their runs. It seemed okay until the bad weather hit this winter. So much snow! I had to put plastic over both of the runs. I left a side of each open for ventilation, but they couldn't see each other anymore. I planned to take the plastic down as soon as the snow stopped, but by that it had piled so high that I couldn't dig the small coop out. I kept the one side clear so he still had sunlight and ventilation, but he was very alone for nearly 4 weeks.

I think anything or anyone can die of loneliness. If he looked healthy and has no injuries then my guess would be stress/loneliness. There's only so much you can do to keep them safe and happy. You did all of that so don't beat yourself up. I love my guineas but they can also be their own worst enemy sometimes.

 

[GoodGuinea]

I think anything or anyone can die of loneliness. If he looked healthy and has no injuries then my guess would be stress/loneliness. There's only so much you can do to keep them safe and happy. You did all of that so don't beat yourself up. I love my guineas but they can also be their own worst enemy sometimes.

Thank you. I still feel bad about it, but you all have helped me accept it.

And I have to shake my head and smile about them being their own worst enemies sometimes. They certainly are good at that!