Guinea War

[Blodwyn0419]

Hello all,

Hoping for some insight. First time raising Guineas, and while I did a lot of research prior to getting Keets, there is still so much more to learn; especially about their behaviour.

I have 6 guineas that were raised with chickens. I had 6 chicks, one turned out to be a rooster and was a bit of a jerk so he got a new home.

They have a large run, about 120m area. They get along great with the chooks. At night they all go in to roost together. No issues there.

We are on 5 acres, they can fly their pen but they choose not to. Instead if they accidentally get out they yell for me until I come and put them back in. Their choice to not free roam is 100% up to them.

I know I have 2 males and 3 females. Not sure on the 6th's gender yet.

Yesterday I noted one guinea distressed. She did not want to go to bed with everyone else. Today she flew the fence. She wanted to get back in, I helped her and then she got bullied.

An all mighty fight broke out. She tried to defend herself. I watched for a bit letting nature take its course. But then others joined and she was getting exhausted and injured.

I picked her up and popped hee in my pigeon coop to regain her energy.

The coop is built inside the pen so she is visible to them. They have ignored her, but she is calling for them.

I could understand if it were males fighting. But females? I don't know the gender of the aggressor.

What's the go? How do I handle this issue withiut someone getting killed?

Cheers.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello all,

Hoping for some insight. First time raising Guineas, and while I did a lot of research prior to getting Keets, there is still so much more to learn; especially about their behaviour.

I have 6 guineas that were raised with chickens. I had 6 chicks, one turned out to be a rooster and was a bit of a jerk so he got a new home.

They have a large run, about 120m area. They get along great with the chooks. At night they all go in to roost together. No issues there.

We are on 5 acres, they can fly their pen but they choose not to. Instead if they accidentally get out they yell for me until I come and put them back in. Their choice to not free roam is 100% up to them.

I know I have 2 males and 3 females. Not sure on the 6th's gender yet.

Yesterday I noted one guinea distressed. She did not want to go to bed with everyone else. Today she flew the fence. She wanted to get back in, I helped her and then she got bullied.

An all mighty fight broke out. She tried to defend herself. I watched for a bit letting nature take its course. But then others joined and she was getting exhausted and injured.

I picked her up and popped hee in my pigeon coop to regain her energy.

The coop is built inside the pen so she is visible to them. They have ignored her, but she is calling for them.

I could understand if it were males fighting. But females? I don't know the gender of the aggressor.

What's the go? How do I handle this issue withiut someone getting killed?

Cheers.

That's strange, I haven't seen behavior like that towards females, generally the originals all get along except the boys. Can you figure out who the aggressor is?

 

[Isadora]

Pure speculation, but perhaps it's a jealousy thing over one of the males? Haven't seen that behavior in my guineas before, though my females do tussle regularly.
I only have one male, currently.

 

[R2elk]

That's strange, I haven't seen behavior like that towards females, generally the originals all get along except the boys. Can you figure out who the aggressor is?

It's relatively common.

 

[SmiYa0126]

It's relatively common.

I haven't seen it in the two years I had guineas, very interesting. I would figure out who the aggressor is and put him in the time out box.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hello all,

Hoping for some insight. First time raising Guineas, and while I did a lot of research prior to getting Keets, there is still so much more to learn; especially about their behaviour.

I have 6 guineas that were raised with chickens. I had 6 chicks, one turned out to be a rooster and was a bit of a jerk so he got a new home.

They have a large run, about 120m area. They get along great with the chooks. At night they all go in to roost together. No issues there.

We are on 5 acres, they can fly their pen but they choose not to. Instead if they accidentally get out they yell for me until I come and put them back in. Their choice to not free roam is 100% up to them.

I know I have 2 males and 3 females. Not sure on the 6th's gender yet.

Yesterday I noted one guinea distressed. She did not want to go to bed with everyone else. Today she flew the fence. She wanted to get back in, I helped her and then she got bullied.

An all mighty fight broke out. She tried to defend herself. I watched for a bit letting nature take its course. But then others joined and she was getting exhausted and injured.

I picked her up and popped hee in my pigeon coop to regain her energy.

The coop is built inside the pen so she is visible to them. They have ignored her, but she is calling for them.

I could understand if it were males fighting. But females? I don't know the gender of the aggressor.

What's the go? How do I handle this issue withiut someone getting killed?

Cheers.

I see you’re in Australia - so this is spring? Tensions ratchet up as the Guinea fowl form breeding pairs or groups. It’s often the cocks fighting, but the hens can get in the mix as well. If there is one aggressor, then isolating it might help. However if they are all ganging up, I think that makes it more difficult. Locking a dominant bird up instead might be enough to shake them up and forget their bullying for now. Do you want them to free range? My experience has been that more time free ranging and larger flock size both help to decrease bullying.

 

[R2elk]

I haven't seen it in the two years I had guineas, very interesting. I would figure out who the aggressor is and put him in the time out box.

I let my guineas be guineas.

 

[Blodwyn0419]

Yeah, it is spring here. I expected some issues with the males, but so far just their usual chasing and that is that.

I did wonder if it was a mating thing.

The one aggressor was definitely the issue. The others only joined in when she started to defend herself and even then they weren't being that brutal.

What I found odd was the other 5 were quiet all afternoon, they just didn't care that their pack member was not with them. They usually do.

I'll let her out today, see how they are together. If it starts again I eill try catch and remove the aggressor.

I don't mind if they roam so long as they come home. They honestly don't want to be out. I think the roos scared them. They vame face to face with one a couple of times when they flew the fence and got quite a shock. Haha. May have detered them? If so, nothing I can do about that. Roos were here first.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Yeah, it is spring here. I expected some issues with the males, but so far just their usual chasing and that is that.

I did wonder if it was a mating thing.

The one aggressor was definitely the issue. The others only joined in when she started to defend herself and even then they weren't being that brutal.

What I found odd was the other 5 were quiet all afternoon, they just didn't care that their pack member was not with them. They usually do.

I'll let her out today, see how they are together. If it starts again I eill try catch and remove the aggressor.

I don't mind if they roam so long as they come home. They honestly don't want to be out. I think the roos scared them. They vame face to face with one a couple of times when they flew the fence and got quite a shock. Haha. May have detered them? If so, nothing I can do about that. Roos were here first.

Are the guineas young? Mine have schooled my roosters… Hoping for your sake that the roos stay head honcho. Mine actually all get along fine now that I have more guineas. When the Guinea cocks feel aggressive, they now take it out on each other instead of my roosters!

 

[Blodwyn0419]

Are the guineas young? Mine have schooled my roosters… Hoping for your sake that the roos stay head honcho. Mine actually all get along fine now that I have more guineas. When the Guinea cocks feel aggressive, they now take it out on each other instead of my roosters!

Haha. I don't have any roosters. I should have said Kangaroos. They are scared of the kangaroos.

I kept the female separated for a night and the following day all was forgiven. She had a small wound on her beak that was bleeding. I am thinking that they saw that and started attacking?

Right now I am having issues with the 2 dominant males. One of my chooks went clucky. Because she was walking around puffed up and acting 'weird', they have targeted her and keep chasing and pecking her.

I have locked up one male and it has given her some peace, but the other male is still pushing her around on and off.

The other chooks, except for one lovely girl, are pecking her too.

She has to sleep in the house at night for 2 reasons... 1 she woulr be on the nest and staying broody. 2 she would definitely get pecked to death by morning.

Any ideas? It has been going on for 3 or 4 days now.