Guinea talk.

[MartinsPoultry]

No lol. We named them off the raptors from Jurassic World

 

[guineapeeps]

No lol. We named them off the raptors from Jurassic World

I didn't even think of Jurassic Park. Great idea.......love the names!

 

[guineapeeps]

My two guineas "sonny and Cher" have been here a little over a month now and they have fit in just fine. It's funny to see them trying to push their way under one of the chickens when they roost at night. They have worked their way around the coop and mixed up the whole coops sleeping arrangements. No one wants to cuddle with them.
It's also funny when my grandchildren go in the back yard cause they squawk like crazy. They don't like my husband either. They are curious about me when I'm out feeding them or just walking around they follow me. They won't let me pick them up but if I talk to them they they seem to talk back. Maybe in time they will trust me enough to let me pet them.

Sounds like my house. My Guineas follow me around, probably because they know that I usually have treats. They tolerate my husband but really dislike my teenage son and sound the alarm every time they see him. Although they follow me around and let me get right next to them, I only have 1, out of a flock of 12, that will let me touch her, so I hope yours end up a little more tame than mine. Despite this, I still really love my Guineas and enjoy having them and I'm sure you will continue to enjoy yours too!

 

[GlennLee]

2 males 2 females, and we live across the street from a cattle farm I think the coyotes were yipping about an afterbirth or something, the cows are calving now. I am hoping too cause i dont want them this close to the house with dog sitting my nieces dog. We didn't have a tree this year, but we had large outdoor Christmas lights hanging on the cattle panels for the run which was cute. Hawks are no fun at all, it has been about a week and a half *knock on wood* that the red tail hasn't showed up.

I did give them all a treat today, i moved about 6 five gallon bucket loads of mulch for them to play in and man did they ever have fun picking for bugs and getting the pinned up energy out. Charlie, Blue and Echo totally ignored Delta while playing but still chase the tar out of her. I am starting to think something might be mentally wrong with her because with the other three freak out over a leaf falling she just does her buckwheat call unlike the panic omg its scary call they do.

We are also getting two new chickens tomorrow for laying hens, Silver Laced Wyandotts, I am excited.

What would be the best action to keep the others from chasing Delta so much? Its to the point now she will hide under our Tom's rear ends to stay away from them.

Hmmmm..... I don't know if you'll ever be able to stop them from chasing Delta and maybe that's okay as long as she isn't being attacked. That's where I draw the line - when there's blood. I know we all "want everyone to get along", but it just doesn't happen in the pecking order of the birds. And that pecking order changes with time and circumstances. Once breeding season starts, she'll look REALLY good to the fellas. I had hop-along Helen that was on the fringe of the flock most of the time, but her status was elevated when they were ready to breed and there were times she would just sit and "buckwheat" until the rest of the flock came to her and she would lead them to a new spot to free range.

I think WE feel bad, but it's life as they know it and it's stability to their social structure - someone has to be in charge and someone has to be bossed around - it's survival in the wild even though they are semi-domesticated. I added 4 regular pearls to my flock of now 8 jumbo pearls and the regulars are ALWAYS being tormented - but they act really crazy compared to the jumbos - it's almost like they ask for it. Luckily, they are agile and can get away and seem to be the first ones out there exploring and the rest of the flock follows THEM! Their social structure is a bit more complex than an up and down hierarchy and for me it's all okay, unless there is extreme aggression and blood is drawn. Some people would even be okay with that, but again, that's where I draw the line - drawing blood.

If you really want to put an end to the behavior and there's a way to do it, just have her chill with the turkeys and not interact with the guineas or if you try adding a couple more guineas, they may end up bonding with Delta and create another sub flock - no guarantees on that though - or maybe re-home her. Just a few thoughts - no definitive answers for you, just thoughts....

I know you mentioned that Delta has different reactions to things than the rest of the crew - is she also a different color? I've read some postings from people who have guineas shunned because they are a different color. For whatever reason, she's just not in sync with them. So it is what it is and you'll just have to decide on how far you want to go and what you want to do to remedy the situation - if anything.

Thanks for sharing your happenings and all the developments on your farm; you have such an exciting and varied group of animals there. Make sure you post pictures of your new Silver Laced Wyandotts.

 

[GlennLee]

Left to right
Blue, Echo, Charlie

These three over stuffed themselves and tried to go to sleep near the vent window.


Poor little Delta by herself like always. My little gossip girl

This just answered my question about the colors - duh! Need to keep scrolling and reading... They are beautiful birds.

 

[GlennLee]

My two guineas "sonny and Cher" have been here a little over a month now and they have fit in just fine. It's funny to see them trying to push their way under one of the chickens when they roost at night. They have worked their way around the coop and mixed up the whole coops sleeping arrangements. No one wants to cuddle with them.
It's also funny when my grandchildren go in the back yard cause they squawk like crazy. They don't like my husband either. They are curious about me when I'm out feeding them or just walking around they follow me. They won't let me pick them up but if I talk to them they they seem to talk back. Maybe in time they will trust me enough to let me pet them.

So glad to hear that Sonny and Cher are fitting into their new home! It's much easier for us when everyone "plays nice together" in the coop. I can just picture them pushing their way under the chickens. I think that might be a dominance thing - they are communicating the chicken's dominance by going low. Maybe not, but when I introduced new ones to the flock, they exhibited similar behavior. Isn't it interesting to see their reactions to other people? It makes you wonder what goes through their little brains. I'm sure you spend more time with them, so they have bonded more to you as their food source.

Mine (flock of 12) get real close, but HATE an outstretched arm. If you sit in the coop or an area where they are confined and can hold some treats in your hand, but keep your hand close to the body, you may be able to get them to eat out of your hand. I think that would be a good first step. I once had chickadees eating bird seed out of my hand so I would think you could eventually get your guineas doing the same. Getting to hold or pet them is a big jump even after having them eat out of your hand. The only way I can hold mine is to net them first - some calm down and seem to relax, but some NEVER like it.

Good luck with this and let us know how you make out.

 

[MartinsPoultry]

So since I put the new girls in there with the rest of the birds, Charlie, Blue and Echo have ignored Delta, but my only new issue is the new girls are stressing out my brahma cross to the point she is shaking. Makes me feel bad cause she is the sweetest little hen ever.
They have not drawn blood on her "yet" as she out squirrels them through the Turkey legs. Penny our sweetgrass protects her from time to time.

I want to add more Guineas just need to find some around their age or a month older. I would love to get more Guinea hens so each boy has his own harem. And if anything gets to bad she will end up being the pet Guinea and possibly moved into her own section of the coop once I put up a divider for broody chickens, aka Maple.

But here are some pictures of everyone.

Left to right
Cookie - Wyandotte
Echo - the terrorist
Delta - Bottom of the pecking order and my Gossip girl
Blue - Second in command Male
Maple - Brahma cross
Charlie - Alpha male
Shimmer - Wyandotte
Anya - Production red, from what someone else said


My sweetgrass hen checking out the chicken and guinea bowl


Blue being a creeper

Blue
Charlie boy
Maple, Shimmer and Echo
my big boys, and deltas body

Main focus, Delta and Shimmer
Background, Cookie picking on Maple
the orginal flock, my 7 main babies. Narragansetts
all eight turkeys and one of the silver laced, Sweetgrass momma on the bottom right

 

[guineapeeps]

So since I put the new girls in there with the rest of the birds, Charlie, Blue and Echo have ignored Delta, but my only new issue is the new girls are stressing out my brahma cross to the point she is shaking. Makes me feel bad cause she is the sweetest little hen ever. They have not drawn blood on her "yet" as she out squirrels them through the Turkey legs. Penny our sweetgrass protects her from time to time. I want to add more Guineas just need to find some around their age or a month older. I would love to get more Guinea hens so each boy has his own harem. And if anything gets to bad she will end up being the pet Guinea and possibly moved into her own section of the coop once I put up a divider for broody chickens, aka Maple. But here are some pictures of everyone. Left to right Cookie - Wyandotte Echo - the terrorist Delta - Bottom of the pecking order and my Gossip girl Blue - Second in command Male Maple - Brahma cross Charlie - Alpha male Shimmer - Wyandotte Anya - Production red, from what someone else said My sweetgrass hen checking out the chicken and guinea bowl Blue being a creeper Blue Charlie boy Maple, Shimmer and Echo my big boys, and deltas body Main focus, Delta and Shimmer Background, Cookie picking on Maple the orginal flock, my 7 main babies. Narragansetts all eight turkeys and one of the silver laced, Sweetgrass momma on the bottom right

I've never had turkeys before, so don't know much about them, but I really love the picture of your sweetgrass hen. I Love her colors.....she's beautiful!

 

[pattyhen]

You have some beautiful birds Martinspoultry. I've never had turkeys before either but I've always wanted one. You have ducks to don't you? You really have a wide variety of birds and I love them all. I hope your hen calms down some and the new ones quit picking on her. It is always a big adjustment when introducing the new ones. Usually it's the new ones that get picked on.

Years back when we first started out with chickens we bought 6 silkie babies. They weren't the brightest chickens we ever had. They refused to eat scrambled eggs, they had to be showed the ramp every night and pushed up the ramp to go in the chicken coop. We got an older silkie hen from a man my husband worked with. The first day she whipped both of the roosters, laid an egg, run up and down the ramp to the coop and gobbled down the scrambled eggs. It was like she became their teacher on how to be a chicken.

 

[pattyhen]

My two guineas "sonny and Cher" have been here a little over a month now and they have fit in just fine. It's funny to see them trying to push their way under one of the chickens when they roost at night. They have worked their way around the coop and mixed up the whole coops sleeping arrangements. No one wants to cuddle with them.
It's also funny when my grandchildren go in the back yard cause they squawk like crazy. They don't like my husband either. They are curious about me when I'm out feeding them or just walking around they follow me. They won't let me pick them up but if I talk to them they they seem to talk back. Maybe in time they will trust me enough to let me pet them.

I love the names, Sonny and Cher. Thats great that they fit right in with the chickens. Poor lil guys just want to cuddle thats cute. My guineas just ignore the chickens and have never tried to cuddle with them or even try and sit on the same perch as the chickens. It's almost like they have come to an agreement you stay over there and we will stay over here.

Maybe in time they will let you pet them. If they see you petting the chickens that might inspire them to be petted too.