Housing chickens and guinas together? How do you do it without them picking on each other?

[joysgirl]

I have had my chickens and guinas together since the fall. They seemed fine until lately. Am wondering if it has to do with the weather and mating season coming up. My hens are really getting it. I thought maybe it was because of the roosters but I have seen the guinas taking a round out of a few of the chickens or maybe more roosters so am pretty sure its the guinas...I have 10 guinas and about 4 of those males. Last year was the first I had them so am very new at this. Was wondering if anyone would have any ideas. I did pull some of the males and it seemed alot calmer today. Am wondering too if they need more protien then the chickens? I don't have a constant supply of hen scratch for them so I was wondering if doing that would help too...Thanks in advance...

 

[perchie.girl]

I have had my chickens and guinas together since the fall. They seemed fine until lately. Am wondering if it has to do with the weather and mating season coming up. My hens are really getting it. I thought maybe it was because of the roosters but I have seen the guinas taking a round out of a few of the chickens or maybe more roosters so am pretty sure its the guinas...I have 10 guinas and about 4 of those males. Last year was the first I had them so am very new at this. Was wondering if anyone would have any ideas. I did pull some of the males and it seemed alot calmer today. Am wondering too if they need more protien then the chickens? I don't have a constant supply of hen scratch for them so I was wondering if doing that would help too...Thanks in advance...

I dont know where you are located but if its warming up there like it is here they are beginning to show off for the girls. During mating season they do lots and lots of racing about with their feathers up in back and head lowered. You may have to separate the guineas from the chickens or like you did separate out a few of the males. I am sure some more experienced people than me will chime in soon.

Oh and

from San Diego.

deb

 

[Oakieridge]

We are newbies at Guineas too and we notice the same thing about a month ago. We have 10 males and only 2 females. I took the two females and paired them up with a male into their own coops. The rest of the boys went into a dog pen we converted to a coop. They get to free range during the day and come into the pen at night. This has made our yard so much quieter. It is funny to watch the males out in the yard during the day flaunting thier stuff lol.

Cathie

 

[critters]

I'm getting eggs already and my males are flaunting their stuff big time!
Whenever they get in the chicken coop, more times than not, the chickens
get pretty upset! The guineas have their own coop and even tho they
free range during the day, they are laying quite a stash of eggs in their
coop...
.

 

[Medo]

i have 4 guineas, 3 males 1 hen, and they've been fighting with each other for a couple weeks, must be the strange weather..

 

[PeepsCA]

Welcome to Guinea breeding season!! It really does take a special breed to put up with Guineas and all their seasonal personality quirks and changes... and to clarify, I mean breed of people, not just breed of chickens, lol.

 

[heydeej]

I work in dog rescue and one of our local county shelters, knowing that I also have chickens, called me today to ask if I would take some guineas.
I don't yet know how many males/females, but I know they are adults and were formerly kept with chickens. My flock of 12 chickens (10 hens, 1 RIR roo & 1 banty roo) are all 2-3 yrs old. Will they accept these guineas? how will the guineas do in a new flock of chickens?
I've read here to keep the guineas contained for several weeks. I have a 30x30 yard with 6ft wooden privacy fence that the chickens stay in. It has a roof over 1/2 of it, but is not completely covered. Will that contain the guineas?
Last, but not least, what about the dogs? My chickens are fenced because I have a springer spaniel and a pointer mix (hunting breeds, but not trained hunting dogs) and they love to chase birds. How will roaming guineas handle this?

I know it's alot of questions, but I could not find all the answers in the forums...

thanks!

 

[perchie.girl]

Guineas are pretty tough and excellent fliers. Though they have lots of brain farts.... They will fly over a fence and not figure out how to get back. If you can can you net over the fenced in area for your guineas? That will keep them in for the the needed amount of time.

If you can is it possible to segregate an area for the Guineas during the six weeks.... to keep them separated from the chickens. Guineas dont handle change well. But once conditioned to routine you have a

The protection from dogs you have for the chickens should also be used for the guineas. When guineas feel threatened they attack in a flock. I have had mine escort a coyote off the property. Screaming and pecking at him the whole time. But thats a single dog/canid not a couple.

Good luck.

deb

I work in dog rescue and one of our local county shelters, knowing that I also have chickens, called me today to ask if I would take some guineas.
I don't yet know how many males/females, but I know they are adults and were formerly kept with chickens. My flock of 12 chickens (10 hens, 1 RIR roo & 1 banty roo) are all 2-3 yrs old. Will they accept these guineas? how will the guineas do in a new flock of chickens?
I've read here to keep the guineas contained for several weeks. I have a 30x30 yard with 6ft wooden privacy fence that the chickens stay in. It has a roof over 1/2 of it, but is not completely covered. Will that contain the guineas?
Last, but not least, what about the dogs? My chickens are fenced because I have a springer spaniel and a pointer mix (hunting breeds, but not trained hunting dogs) and they love to chase birds. How will roaming guineas handle this?

I know it's alot of questions, but I could not find all the answers in the forums...

thanks!

 

[heydeej]

Yeah, I thought about netting over the top. Of course, DW will complain about it looking "trailer trashy" (even tho we DO live in a trailer,

)
but it will only be for a couple of months.
We clipped the wings on the chickens the first year, and they've never since tried to fly out. Would that work on guineas?

As far as segregation, I only have one coop. What kind of accomodations will the guineas need if they can't roost with the chickens?

 

[perchie.girl]

They are good fliers even with their wings clipped they can still go six feet in the air.

Mine unclipped could fly over my house. Other people who have trees say they roost up about fifteen feet or higher. Chickens require about four square feet in coop space.... Guineas do as well maybe a little more. Though for sleeping what you can do is put perches up higher than your chickens will try to use. My perches in my last coop were set at six feet. Only one or two of the chickens would try to roost up there but the Guineas would shoo them off.

I prefer not to clip but if you feel the need clip both wings incase of the possibility that one gets out it gives them a chance to get away.

WRT netting you can use the stuff they use for Fruit trees. Its almost invisible.

Oh and to keep down the squabbling setup two feeding stations so that they can do round robbin without pestering the chickens too much.

I had chickens and guineas quite a while before I found out there could be problems. I had all males at the time they toussled with each other on occasion. But If I had had females mixed it they would have evolved into sparring matches that are like furtive foot races. In the wild they pair off and the boys that dont get females make up a bachelor flock.

deb

Yeah, I thought about netting over the top. Of course, DW will complain about it looking "trailer trashy" (even tho we DO live in a trailer,

)
but it will only be for a couple of months.
We clipped the wings on the chickens the first year, and they've never since tried to fly out. Would that work on guineas?

As far as segregation, I only have one coop. What kind of accomodations will the guineas need if they can't roost with the chickens?