Guineas as thieves

[Okie Amazon]

I posted recently about the "extra" guinea that showed up on our place; pretty sure it's a rooster. He hangs on the edges of our group, once in a while the dominant rooster chases him around. He also spends a LOT of time up at the front of our property, while most of our birds hang in the main yard and at the back. Now, the problem/question. We have 10 keets that are almost fully adult feathered that we have been keeping in a pen. This bird hangs out with them all the time. We have started letting them have some out time during the afternoons and yesterday my husband found this bird had herded them all up to front where he hangs out, which is right on the street and handy to disappearing into the neighborhood/area from whence he seemed to have come. Is this guy trying to steal our hens and get himself a ready-made harem/flock? My husband is ready to put him in the pot or catch him and sell him off. What do you think? Anyone heard of guinea theft by guinea?

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

How interesting. Perhaps his paternal instincts are just "that strong".

I'd love to see video of this cock herding the keets.

 

[MsMoss]

Maybe he's trying to start a harrem in the front yard, since the Rooster in the back yard won't let him have territory.

 

[robin416]

Years ago when I started off with three Guineas, the female went broody on a clutch of her eggs in the coop. During the day something got in to the coop and killed her. I took her eggs and finished them off in the bator.

Fast forward several weeks to the time the keets could be without the extra warmth. I moved them to the Guinea coop in a pen of their own. The first week the two males gave them a passing glance. Then one day while I was standing there watching I realized the boys wanted the keets to come out. I was extremely concerned that they would kill the keets so I stayed and watched. The two males gathered the keets in to a ball and began to move them out. One male in front, one in the rear. Every time a keet broke ranks one of the males would rush up to push it back. They shepherded them all over the property. Front, back, sides.

I kept watch for hours and when it became evident the keets were way passed tired I moved in and ushered the keets back in to the coop for a much needed rest.

Since you have the threat of the road its time to do something to encourage them to stay in the rear. If you don't have problems with bear then putting out bird feeders for wild birds will cause seeds to fall to the grown and make it an intriguing place for the Guineas to explore.

I do have a warning, as time goes by the curious Guineas will go explore places they have never been. That includes roads or near neighbors that have interesting things happening. My property is fenced so I rarely have to deal with it. Every once in a while teenage Guineas will take adventuring too far and will go over the gate.

 

[Okie Amazon]

It has been interesting. I wish I had video. The errant rooster keeps up luring the babies out front, BUT, now the non-dominant roosters and one hen are shepherding them back! He'll get them up as far as the corner of the house and then here comes the calvary! One will chase him all over heck and gone while the others herd the babies back right to my back door! That's another odd thing, because they really don't hang out there too much. Their water bucket is there and the babies pen is there. I also have a dozen Barred Rocks and RIRs that I have caged right at the back door and have been letting them out in the afternoons to forage. I usually sit on the back porch steps and watch them. So it's like they are delivering them right back to my supervision! Guineas are really fun birds!