how to tell male from female guineas

[dadsgirl]

i have several lavendar guineas, and want to sale some of the males, but cannot tell rather they are male or female, could anyone tell me how to determine which sex they are , i know the female makes the buckwheat sound, but the others just holler. please help.

thanks, angie

 

[Indiana hens]

I have had guineas the last 3 years but am still a novice. I could onlt tell that a hen has a hook back point and males have just a straight up cone.

 

[sandspoultry]

Normally on the males the wattles are more cupped forward and the hens they are flatter. Also the helmet on the males should be bigger but that doesn't hold 100% true.

The best way that is just about 100% is feel the distance beween the pelvic bones. Hold the guinea and run your hand down the breast bone towards the tail, once you get to the end of the breast bone keep going until you get to the pelvic bones. The males will be close together about 1 finger width apart and the females much wider, which when you think about it - they have to be to pass the eggs. You may have to go thru a few birds to really get a feel for them but once you do it soooo easy to tell after that.

Steve in NC

 

[lilchick]

Yes it is hard to sex them by their wattles.. Some of my hens have them big as the males!
I just listen and you can tell the hens they do call buckwheat over and over.. The males only make the loud single chi chi sound.... Takes a bit of patience to sex them but it can be done..

 

[Marlinchaser]

What you have to do is catch them then turn them upside down, the boys will have a B on the bottom of the feet, the girls will have a G, that is what my mom told me, so it must be true.

The ones making the most noise will be the girls, like most species I might add.

 

[ameraucanacrazy]

the male make a ckckc sound and the female makes a duck sound like she is saying buckwheat buckwheat

 

[lilchick]

Marlinchaser: Darn all this time I only had to look on the bottom of their feet?

I disagree with you the MALES are noisier and lead the pack and panic and fly like crazies whenever the mood strikes them.... My hens are like me..

quiet

 

[sundance]

One more question please HOW DO YOU CATCH THEM, mine roam and then fly up in the cedar trees at night so I just tell them goodnight girls and let them go

marrie

 

[lilchick]

Mine grew up with the chickens and go to roost in barn. I can catch them when they are eating or at night when on the roost..
If they are free range and go to roost in trees you may have a problem catching them..
Notice they are streamlined and hard to grab hold of. Keeps most predators from catching them and they can run so fast and fly too. Only predator that tried to get mine was an owl...
If you need to catch one try feeding them on the ground and use a long handled fish net.
Not those expensive ones the try to sell in chicken mags. but one like I got at Dicks Sporting Goods for 12.00 good luck

 

[hackney]

Although barely distinguishable, male guinea fowl calls are uni-syllabic utterances that sound like "wheat-wheat-wheat" or "chit-chit-chit." Female guinea fowl calls are multi-syllabic and have been likened to "buck-wheat-buck-wheat-buck-wheat," "qua-track-qua-track-qua-track" or "put-rock-put-rock-put-rock." Each bird utters these calls in fast, staccato-like successions. Both sexes start calling at around six to eight weeks of age but hens may take longer to begin calling.

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