fighting male guineas

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ricknrita01

ricknrita01

Hatching
Apr 8, 2015
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We have 2 male guineas. Papa, who is 5 and Jr (who is his son) and 4. Mama and another female were killed last spring but we've had no major issues between them. They are in the flock with the chickens and have been free range for a month. All of a sudden today, they began fighting. I don't know how long before I spotted it but I watched for 5 minutes before going outside and shooing them into the coop to calm down. They were inside for 5 minutes before they came back out fighting again. I'm afraid they will continue and hurt the hens when we close them into the coop for the night, or that one of them will be dead by morning. Papa is bleeding about the base of the bone and I see blood on the neck of Jr. We are going to be moving and bringing the whole crew with us and have been waiting 'til then to get more females. (besides we still have 3' of snow). Any suggestions on what to do in the meantime will be helpful!
 
I don't have much experience with guineas but I would suggest separating them for the time being, and probably getting more females is a good thing also. Maybe one of there mates died and they are fighting over one?
 
You will not find this comforting.

I had 10 guineas. This was last fall. I was trying to get them into the coop for the night. One of them was being a guinea, and went to the roof of the coop. I used a fishing pole to get him off.

I have no idea what happened, but he flew down into the middle of the flock and the flock attacked him. They beat him brutally. I think he was the "leader of the pack" and they had a coup. By the time I got to him he was knocked silly and bleeding badly. I nursed him back to health.


When he got better I put him into a covered run and used a cage to reintegrate him back in the flock.

After a few days, I thought everything was good. I let him back in the flock, I watched and everything was fine. I checked a couple hours later and they had killed him.

I have no idea how to control guineas, they are like a gang of bloods and crips. Someone recently described them as being like barn cats, they eat your food, they tolerate your presence as long as you do not get too close.

If you expect to keep both those guineas I am afraid you will have to keep them separated.
 
I stopped their fight yesterday by chasing them with a broom. Maybe that wasn't the right thing to do, but I could see that Papa was getting the worst of it. So far they have been quiet, whether because they both hurt or have settled things but I am keeping a close eye on them. I may have to get a female or 2 before we move to settle them both down. I'll let you know how I make out with these cranky birds!
 
I know guineas will mate with chickens so they are probably fighting for dominance over the hens. Being you only have two, there is very little reintegrating- it is sort of all or nothing! generally, if I am putting new birds into a flock, I have them in a pen and put the leader of the existing group in with the new guys. He is now the new guy and has lost his place so he usually is quiet. However, after some time when I turn out the group, the big guy seems to have accepted the new ones, making their integration smoother. If you can give them a lot of room they will generally work it out but I have had to bring roosters in and get them back on their feet too. I think hens would help a lot- but enough that both boys are happy! I would not try to keep them in a smaller coop together until the dominance is resolved. Perhaps put subdivide one rooster with some of your chickens and let them form two diverse groups?
 
After this thread, I found one of my roosters literally pecked to death by others. Location and wounds show there is no way it was a predator. He was free ranging so more than enough space to get away but it seems they managed to knock him down long enough to end his life. They sure can be nasty!
 
We have 7 males and 5 females. We got them for bug control. The males are pretty aggressive with each other. I am not emotionally attached to them. I would love to keep them around but I am not keeping mine separate or making more of an effort. They are aggressive lil buggers.
 

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