Giving guineas away :'(

[BennieAnTheJets]

All's well that ends well.

I understand about approaching neighbors - if it does not go well, then you have another problem. Every situation is different. You did the best you could for your birds. Glad you get to see them off and on. And they may have become more problematic as they gotten older at your place, so it is good that you moved them while they were still young, I think.

I would be a little worried that they would try to get back home and get run over on the streets inbetween the two places, but if they have lots of company there, maybe they want to stay and that seems to be the case so far - yeah! Are they contained or free ranging with the others?

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

Aw-

Mine do that, also. "Heh, watcha doin'? Come n' play, gotta snack? We're ready to go in, and where ya been?". I'm not sure how I know which they mean, but we all enjoy it. It might be a good time to meet the neighbors. I worried abt that, as well as the 6 of them trotting over to dirt bathe in her borders. She's the one that found Bella1 after she'd been hit. She cried. When she saw me trying to chase them out of her yard, she told me to leave them alone. She watches out for them and worries if she doesn't see them for a few days.- she usually hates me but loves the birds.

Awesome! Yes, I think the Guineas have also improved my relationship with our neighbors. Used to be annoyed with them for being so noisy - ha ha - never said anything but... Now that we have the Guineas and he said they don't bother them, even when they used to go over there before we had a fence, I love my neighbors!!! So grateful that they don't complain about the Guineas making noise and so gald when I hear them throw another loud music party until 2 am or send off some fireworks. They don't do it that often. The Guineas are not that loud but more often.

Go right ahead! Live and let live!

 

[Sydney65]

Apparently they took to the place right away. I got a call from my friend to tell me 1) “hey, there’s civil war happening here, the peahen doesn’t want them near her babies and the rooster doesn’t appreciate the new intruders coming up to his girls” and 2) “they came running right up to me in the morning! why are they so tame!”

I’m glad they have a lot of space there. They are only 20 minutes away, so I’ll visit often.

As for the neighbors... I wish I could be that easy outgoing charismatic person who could talk to them. But I’m so afraid that talking to them will alert them to the fact that I’m a couple of chickens over the zoning limit. I’ve never been much of a social person, it’s not that I don’t try, but rather it never really ends well when I do

Maybe one day we’ll strike up a conversation and be friends...but for now, they haven’t really approached me... who knows what the future will hold.




That’s so sweet! Sounds like a grumpy old lady

Lol...Himself's aunt. I'm a lot like you describe, keep to myself. I had a buffer, bc after all, they were HIS idea. But she enjoys their antics, and as R2Elk explained, ...what was it he explained..once they have a mate they quiet down. My "elders" were noisy as all get out in the early spring, now they're. pretty quiet unless they have reason to sound the alarm. We'll see what volume these 2 youngens end up getting up to. But I admire your fortitude; I've thought of all kinds of "what ifs". A little over a yr invested, and it kinda terrifies me.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

Guineas do seem to be super-noisy in their first year, especially the girls. First I thought they were trying out their voices but now I think it is bonding. To find a mate and firm up the bond and also to bond to the flock, so they know their voices as well as their faces. After the fisrt year they quiet down a lot.
I have one hen who was firmly bonded to a male that died. She is noisy all the time. Calling him, I suspect. She has plenty of choices for a new boyfriend but she and her mate were super-close and, sadly, I think she is still calling him. She is 8 years old and he was about 6 when he died. Just wasted away - I am not sure why - an internal illness - the vets and medications did not help. I was so worried about this - they were never more than 6 feet apart and panicked when they could not see each other, often shoulder to shoulder outside.

 

[Araucana Nest]

I've had guineas and honestly, found them very annoying. It's very kind of you to worry about your neighbor's comfort. I don't know how close you are but that might not have been a big issue with some space and trees between you. I doubt my neighbor getting guineas would affect me much noisewise but I'm further away (she has mentioned my roosters but there is no way my roosters are going anywhere). It would be more a concern that if the guineas flew over here, my dogs would kill them. And I wouldn't want that to happen to anything.

 

[Sydney65]

Guineas do seem to be super-noisy in their first year, especially the girls. First I thought they were trying out their voices but now I think it is bonding. To find a mate and firm up the bond and also to bond to the flock, so they know their voices as well as their faces. After the fisrt year they quiet down a lot.
I have one hen who was firmly bonded to a male that died. She is noisy all the time. Calling him, I suspect. She has plenty of choices for a new boyfriend but she and her mate were super-close and, sadly, I think she is still calling him. She is 8 years old and he was about 6 when he died. Just wasted away - I am not sure why - an internal illness - the vets and medications did not help. I was so worried about this - they were never more than 6 feet apart and panicked when they could not see each other, often shoulder to shoulder outside.

Yes, females esp. Seemed to take the males longer to realize they cld do more than chirp, and the 1st time the big gray let loose, he scared himself. Lol

 

[R2elk]

I ran into a fellow at the mailboxes years ago. He asked if I was the one with the guineas. His house is a good half mile from my house. He said he enjoyed hearing them.

 

[yakitori]

Are they contained or free ranging with the others?

They are currently contained with the other birds in a very big run, but my friends said they will let them out to free range after a few weeks. They have a lot of acreage around the house so hopefully they won’t end up on the road. I never had to worry about them getting on the road at my place because we lived on a very quiet street with three houses and the only vehicles that came by were for delivery or to pick up trash.

I've had guineas and honestly, found them very annoying.

I found them to be so charming! They were such goof balls, they hated being picked up but I would do it anyway because I can. You can almost see their little brains going “what’s going on? halp”. And then the moment I put them down they seem to forget their panic just 2 second ago and get right back to what they were doing. Maybe I’m weird, but it was adorable I think the best part I liked about them was their ability to actually fly. Having a flock of pets coming at me gracefully through the air is a whole other experience compared to my comical team of flap run chickens . I could go on and on. Sure they’re not as huggable as the chickens, but they were endearing in their own way, and I didn’t feel they were “wild” at all.

I want to get a roo too! But I’m not supposed to have any. Why are rooster crows so recognizeable if they made some generic loud bird sound I would have been able to pass it off as a wild bird

 

[yakitori]

The chickens have taken over. They’re polite though, no persistent door knocking...

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

The chickens have taken over. They’re polite though, no persistent door knocking...

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Guineas are bold. I love'em. Never had a chicken. Afraid I would not like the Guineas as much anymore since I hear how chickens can be picked up and cuddle - I would be spoiled, ha ha.