Definitely guinea spring

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Yes, that’s the cock’s challenge pose! If he’s been doing that to you plus sneaking behind you, then those are really pretty rooster like behaviors. Roosters that are afraid of people will sneak up and attack from behind because they are too scared to directly challenge. That’s one reason that I don’t try to “dominate “ my roosters; if they want to challenge me, then I want them to do it from the front and not sneak behind me and spud my calf! Rooster keepers have gotten serious injuries from a puncture wound from the spur or from feet and spur to the face (usually when bending down). So, keep your safety in mind and try not to squat or turn your back on him until you’ve gotten him over this. It will probably be pretty unpleasant for you to school him, but remember that you are saving their lives when you change human aggressive behavior. Always wear protective clothes, like jeans, boots, and long sleeves when you visit him for awhile. Consider whether you need safety glasses. I wear them when grabbing roosters from the coop because they are face height on their roosts. Practice walking and moving in a calm but confident manner. When you walk towards your guys, you should act like you will walk right through them if they don’t move. If PJ responds to this by moving towards you instead of away, immediately do your snap or spray while confidently continuing to walk through his space. You should know you are making progress when he immediately turns away as you make this confident move towards him. Keep an eye for the sneak attack as you walk by, or even snap preemptively as he passes behind your line of sight.

It sounds like PJ has been giving you warning signs for a while. You should do your aversive behavior at the beginning of the aggression; don’t wait for him to build up steam. I’m concerned that your bear/arms out pose will be interpreted as a guinea-like puffed threat display and could escalate the behavior. If you can swing the water bottle or water gun for awhile, I’d try that. Hopefully you will quickly convince him that challenging you is a bad idea, and you won’t have to do this for too long. If the water gun is impractical, I’d try the towel snap. When you start seeing him sneaking behind you, go ahead and spray or snap in his direction. I wouldn’t say much, stare at him, or otherwise pay much attention to him so you aren’t egging him on. I would generally ignore him for a few weeks so he stops focusing on you so much, but do keep one eye open for his sneak attack! He may only be challenging you as his leader, so you’ll need to see if other people also need to be armed for guinea with a water bottle. Keep us informed and I hope this works

I find it so surprising for a guinea to behave that way. You mention a conversation with @R2elk. I’m not sure if that was a private or public conversation but I either missed it or don’t remember.
Is bonding considered “bad” like it is with male turkeys?

There are a few threads here detailing human aggression, like:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/male-guinea-attacked-my-two-year-old.1259066/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/15203299

In the second thread, two posters describe human aggressive guineas that sound similar to Sydney’s situation. Both talk about how tame their guineas were and how they hand raised them... I’ve been thinking about it like a mare raised foal versus a bottle baby? The bottle baby doesn’t have the natural respect for people that most horses have. Bottle babies can be dangerous because they treat people like fellow horses.

 

[My2butterflies]

No, it wasn't private. I drove him to distraction bc I spent so much time w/them,handled them, etc. He feels that doing so causes the bird to imprint, thus thinking I'm another guinea, leading up to the bird attacking, & then ppl no longer wanting the bird & culling it.
It still seems like in that case, it would have happened last year. But digging through old threads, I read a case where the same happened but the issue was that there was only one male, in his first yr.. The response the poster received was "congratulations, you're his new sparing partner."
Given PJ has never bothered fighting the standard sized goons, I can see where a person could be seen as more of a challenge.
It's still been running through my head all night-"be un-guinea-like."..I had to take my glasses back twice bc the antiglare kept coming off. The second time I told them to leave it off, and they talked me into free transitional lenses. So now when I go outside - mb I look like a goon?
Anyway, my understanding is bonding w/either gender causes issues, bc they aren't domesticated. - and now I will never own a turkey. As for "bonding" - I'm the only person providing their care, and obviously I do get enjoyment from it. But - we'll be nipping this in the bud before he gets braver, or he'll be restrained. As I said, it didn't hurt, but I can't have him going after one of the grans.

Oh, ok. Yeah, better to settle it all right away. Hopefully it will just be a one off thing and he’ll mind his own business. Haha.

There are a few threads here detailing human aggression, like:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/male-guinea-attacked-my-two-year-old.1259066/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/15203299

In the second thread, two posters describe human aggressive guineas that sound similar to Sydney’s situation. Both talk about how tame their guineas were and how they hand raised them... I’ve been thinking about it like a mare raised foal versus a bottle baby? The bottle baby doesn’t have the natural respect for people that most horses have. Bottle babies can be dangerous because they treat people like fellow horses.

I guess because most people don’t get them to the point of being “tame” I’ve just never come across stories of them being aggressive towards people.
I guess I can stop being jealous of people who get to hold and pet their guineas.

 

[Sydney65]

Oh, ok. Yeah, better to settle it all right away. Hopefully it will just be a one off thing and he’ll mind his own business. Haha.

I guess because most people don’t get them to the point of being “tame” I’ve just never come across stories of them being aggressive towards people.
I guess I can stop being jealous of people who get to hold and pet their guineas.

After a sleepless night pondering other causes (dogs,glasses,etc) logic might be setting in. MB I zoned in on absolutes. @R2elk 's shared wisdom was:
"..the first breeding season when their hormones kick in their behavior changes... Imprinted guineas lose the ability to understand that there is a difference between them and the person that has imprinted them. This does not mean that all imprinted guineas will use guinea tactics on the people that imprinted them, only that it has happened and is a possibility."
Poor Guy...it was sound advice, but for some reason, that day I thought he was yelling at me. sorry about that,@R2elk.

Anyway, I fixated on the absolutes-If this had happened last year, I would have said well ofcourse, 1st breeding season, 3 males w/1 female. Last year he ended up being the only one with a mate. But we skated through the 1st season surprisingly well after locking Rosie up. It didn't occur to me that it would be different this year. But hormones are hormones whether the 1st year or the 10th.
I don't think of them as "tame". I went from having a full-time job to being my parents'full-time tender to full-time gma to covid-induced preschool teacher. Cleaning up guinea poo is worth the calming affect they have on me.
When you invest that amount of time, you're bound to develop some sort of relationship, and I'd probably be as goofy if a bear decided to take up residence in my yard. Lol.

 

[MrsTush]

After a sleepless night pondering other causes (dogs,glasses,etc) logic might be setting in. MB I zoned in on absolutes. @R2elk 's shared wisdom was:
"..the first breeding season when their hormones kick in their behavior changes... Imprinted guineas lose the ability to understand that there is a difference between them and the person that has imprinted them. This does not mean that all imprinted guineas will use guinea tactics on the people that imprinted them, only that it has happened and is a possibility."
Poor Guy...it was sound advice, but for some reason, that day I thought he was yelling at me. sorry about that,@R2elk.

Anyway, I fixated on the absolutes-If this had happened last year, I would have said well ofcourse, 1st breeding season, 3 males w/1 female. Last year he ended up being the only one with a mate. But we skated through the 1st season surprisingly well after locking Rosie up. It didn't occur to me that it would be different this year. But hormones are hormones whether the 1st year or the 10th.
I don't think of them as "tame". I went from having a full-time job to being my parents'full-time tender to full-time gma to covid-induced preschool teacher. Cleaning up guinea poo is worth the calming affect they have on me.
When you invest that amount of time, you're bound to develop some sort of relationship, and I'd probably be as goofy if a bear decided to take up residence in my yard. Lol.

I'm jealous of your guinea-whispering lol
I handled mine all the time when they were small. Once they were big enough for a coop I would sit out in their yard and toss them meal worms. They would follow me everywhere and when I would be in my lawn chair they would be all around and under it. Once they got to be teenagers forget it! They wouldn't let me pick them up now if I paid them.

 

[Sydney65]

I'm jealous of your guinea-whispering lol
I handled mine all the time when they were small. Once they were big enough for a coop I would sit out in their yard and toss them meal worms. They would follow me everywhere and when I would be in my lawn chair they would be all around and under it. Once they got to be teenagers forget it! They wouldn't let me pick them up now if I paid them.

To be fair,the only one I attempt to pick up outside of the coop is Blue..or "Bluey" as my gran calls him (everyone is a cartoon to him). He's the one you've seen in my lap talking to the camera & as my icon asleep in my arms.
Yes, when they become teens and it's mating season, it's no longer "cool" to ride around on Mom's shoulder. As of yesterday, other than Blue, they refused to even come eat celery from me & are keeping their distance, so the games begin.
PJ and Rosie are in lockdown together in the kennel dustbathing in the peat moss. I have a bamboo stick outside of the coop now so no more charging, but I do recognise the standing sidewise to look at me.
And YIKES! @Mixed flock enthusiast - from what someone told me once, I thought that backwards toe WAS a "spur", but just looked up pictures. Thank goodness I don't have to deal w/that!! I think if I had chickens, I'd rather rent a roo for the day! Lol.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

To be fair,the only one I attempt to pick up outside of the coop is Blue..or "Bluey" as my gran calls him (everyone is a cartoon to him). He's the one you've seen in my lap talking to the camera & as my icon asleep in my arms.
Yes, when they become teens and it's mating season, it's no longer "cool" to ride around on Mom's shoulder. As of yesterday, other than Blue, they refused to even come eat celery from me & are keeping their distance, so the games begin.
PJ and Rosie are in lockdown together in the kennel dustbathing in the peat moss. I have a bamboo stick outside of the coop now so no more charging, but I do recognise the standing sidewise to look at me.
And YIKES! @Mixed flock enthusiast - from what someone told me once, I thought that backwards toe WAS a "spur", but just looked up pictures. Thank goodness I don't have to deal w/that!! I think if I had chickens, I'd rather rent a roo for the day! Lol.

Yeah, their spurs can be pretty wicked... I try to keep them blunt but I’m past due on clipping them. One roo in particular has one (I don’t know how he lost the other) smallish but very sharp looking spur. He dances with me most mornings, and I keep thinking about how I need to blunt that spur, but then I forget until the next t morning...

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Poor guy.
Mine have started their spring chasing now too. I hope we won’t have any losses this year from fights. Like you I have a female heavy flock. I know 1:1 is the recommended ratio, but maybe since my boys are selfish it will still balance out

I have four males and two females but I can't come to give them away- too attached- my males always chase each other but they all pick on my Royal Purple male Guineaiss.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

I’m hoping so! I already have 2-3 people lined up for keets
I’m not intending on hatching any pearls this year unless I get requests for them. I want to focus on the white, lavender, and royal purple.
I think this will be possible because last year it seemed like there is a big enough weight difference between them and the jumbos. But we will see how right I am. Haha.

I am hoping to get a new color or two this year if the person I saw on Craigslist last year is selling keets again.
I have so many colors I’d like to add I want to go to the Iowa guinea farm. I could make a whole trip out of it. Go see my mom, hit up a koi farm, and finish off with collecting some keets

Where are you located, because I am interested in buying some keets. I have a single white keet in my brooder, and my family doesn't want me to get chicks to keep it company. Too messy, apparently! But for next year I may be interested in buying some Royal purple and Lavenders. I have a hatchery I could give the males to.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

When they run really fast with wings arched upward and held abt an inch from body? The boys do that when they come out of coop. Not AT me; they walk past me then do a loop around coop as though doing recon before girls come out.
I guess he has been doing it to me, though.
He's the only one, but have seen him run up behind me but always turns away when I turn around and talk to him but I didn't notice today bc I was focusing on dogs. He did it yesterday, but I was handing out celery & associated it w/that.
So I gather that's the criteria, to stop him from sneaking up on me.
He doesn't like:
Water sprays-I used a water gun to get them to stop coming up on porch last year..need to reinstate that.
Things that are big and flap, like towels or the storm door.
When we make like a bear- arms out, loud noise. That would probably be the easiest since carrying around a towel or water gun isn't always practical.

My lead guinea will come at me with his wings in the position you described, but then he realised it's me, and turns and does the wing thing to the other males.

 

[Sydney65]

My lead guinea will come at me with his wings in the position you described, but then he realised it's me, and turns and does the wing thing to the other males.

Good morning! You're looking at threads from last yr., which is good for info, but probably not as helpful for current info like who has keets right now. If you look in the forum list, there's a wanted & for sale forum where you can post what you're wanting and your location.