Guinea hens extra loud during the breeding season?

[StephJuno]

Hi again! This is my first year/experience with guineas and I so appreciate all the help I’ve received on this forum!

So- are guineas (especially the ladies) exceptionally loud during this time of year? Mine are 8 months and this will be my first breeding season with them. They seem to be much louder than they have been all year. My odd-girl-out will ‘buck-wheat’ at the top of her lungs all day long. Maybe because she’s not receiving any attention from the males? (I have 5- 2 males, 3 females, with one female always left behind, though not exactly being bullied)

I’m just trying to figure out if this is normal (and hoping maybe they’ll eventually settle down again?). Thanks!!

 

[sourland]

You're in for a noisy spring/summer.

 

[R2elk]

Hi again! This is my first year/experience with guineas and I so appreciate all the help I’ve received on this forum!

So- are guineas (especially the ladies) exceptionally loud during this time of year? Mine are 8 months and this will be my first breeding season with them. They seem to be much louder than they have been all year. My odd-girl-out will ‘buck-wheat’ at the top of her lungs all day long. Maybe because she’s not receiving any attention from the males? (I have 5- 2 males, 3 females, with one female always left behind, though not exactly being bullied)

I’m just trying to figure out if this is normal (and hoping maybe they’ll eventually settle down again?). Thanks!!

Pretty normal. As breeding season approaches, the hens can buckwheat all day long calling for a mate. Once their mates have been selected, they should quiet down considerably. If you have one that doesn't get a mate, she will keep on buckwheating.

 

[StephJuno]

You're in for a noisy spring/summer.

 

[StephJuno]

Pretty normal. As breeding season approaches, the hens can buckwheat all day long calling for a mate. Once their mates have been selected, they should quiet down considerably. If you have one that doesn't get a mate, she will keep on buckwheating.

Thanks for this! I was sort of afraid of this, also. The alpha female has both males chasing her, but at least the other female is still hanging around the group and I think she'll pair up or at least mate with one of the males. My odd one out just stands in the middle of the field or woods and buckwheats to no end. The other guineas just ignore her. I guess I can only hope that the group dynamic shift one day....

 

[Sydney65]

Your odd girl out will either become a guard w/no mate or get picked up by a male when the others go broody. I've only gone through one season, as stated, after that, it quiets down. Rosie has been quiet ever since, though she was making a fuss the other day. I was rounding them up to go in,she was standing on the cold metal picnic table. She cont. Fussing until I walked over and picked her up, so I assume she wanted to return to the coop but didn't want to get back down in the snow.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thanks for this! I was sort of afraid of this, also. The alpha female has both males chasing her, but at least the other female is still hanging around the group and I think she'll pair up or at least mate with one of the males. My odd one out just stands in the middle of the field or woods and buckwheats to no end. The other guineas just ignore her. I guess I can only hope that the group dynamic shift one day....

We have ended up with more females than cocks for several years now. A few cocks boy want one hen, but mostly our cocks keep harems of 2-8 hens! Ghost was our only cock the first year, and he kept 8 hens. Five of those hens were his regular A list girls and 3 were fringe girls, but all got mates and fertility was higher than I expected. One fringe girl was restless; she called constantly and spent her time flirting with our roosters until she got grabbed by a bobcat. Last year, most of our cocks would ditch their main girl and pick new ones when they went broody. Hopefully, one of your cocks will be willing to form a trio!