Lone guinea fowl

[arrowti]

Hello. This morning I noticed a strange bird pacing outside our fence trying to get in. Turns out (I've never seen one before, I swear!!) it was a guinea. It was alone, and as far as I know, these birds don't usually travel alone, so it made me wonder 'why' it was alone at our house. We don't have guinea fowl. No one in the general area has them either. I know these birds can travel far, though, and don't stick around if they can escape.

Strangely it didn't seem capable of flying, as it didn't fly over the fence or anywhere else. I gave it food and there was water, but I didn't really have time to do anything else as I had to leave for work. It wasn't here when I got back. But mainly I'm worried about 'why' it was alone. We have foxes, owls, and hawks in the area, and very bad drivers on the roads.

I'm went to check in the area to see if anyone is missing any guinea hens, but no one has replied. The closest are several towns away. If it comes back and I try to 'pen it', is it dangerous to my chickens and ducks? We have 7 2 week old chicks with their mother in the yard as well as 2 6.5 week olds. We have a rooster. I read a bit that some guineas can be aggressive and some aren't. Are their diseases guinea fowl can carry that spread to other species of poultry?

I have a picture. The coloring was strange to me, since it was gray with a white belly. It also had a large comb and waddles, so maybe it's a male?

Sorry it's blurry, the bird was shy of me and I couldn't get too close.

.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Definitely a guinea. Try and catch it, shut it in a dog crate or similar with food and water so nothing can eat it, check it over for diseases. A single guinea won't be happy long-term around other poultry and probably shouldn't be introduced to them in case of aggression or disease, but it won't do any harm to trap the guinea in a cage for a bit until you either find its source or find it a home.
It may have been dumped due to being a male.
Try to catch it with a box-stick-and-string trap like kids make, maybe?

 

[R2elk]

Hello. This morning I noticed a strange bird pacing outside our fence trying to get in. Turns out (I've never seen one before, I swear!!) it was a guinea. It was alone, and as far as I know, these birds don't usually travel alone, so it made me wonder 'why' it was alone at our house. We don't have guinea fowl. No one in the general area has them either. I know these birds can travel far, though, and don't stick around if they can escape.

Strangely it didn't seem capable of flying, as it didn't fly over the fence or anywhere else. I gave it food and there was water, but I didn't really have time to do anything else as I had to leave for work. It wasn't here when I got back. But mainly I'm worried about 'why' it was alone. We have foxes, owls, and hawks in the area, and very bad drivers on the roads.

I'm went to check in the area to see if anyone is missing any guinea hens, but no one has replied. The closest are several towns away. If it comes back and I try to 'pen it', is it dangerous to my chickens and ducks? We have 7 2 week old chicks with their mother in the yard as well as 2 6.5 week olds. We have a rooster. I read a bit that some guineas can be aggressive and some aren't. Are their diseases guinea fowl can carry that spread to other species of poultry?

I have a picture. The coloring was strange to me, since it was gray with a white belly. It also had a large comb and waddles, so maybe it's a male?

Sorry it's blurry, the bird was shy of me and I couldn't get too close.View attachment 1497332 .

It is most likely a male that has lost its mate to a predator. This is the time of year that guinea hens tend to sit on hidden nests. The mate will stand guard by the nest and will try to lead a predator away. Unfortunately the hen usually gets taken and the guinea may flee in a different direction than where home is.

If you do catch it you should quarantine it away from your poultry to avoid the possibility of any diseases.

It is a Pied Pearl Gray Helmeted Guinea Fowl.

Good luck.

 

[arrowti]

Hello! I haven't seen him since but I'll keep an eye out and try to catch him if possible. I'm not interested in raising guineas myself but I know some people who have a flock that would be willing to take him in if he's healthy.

 

[Clucksworth12]

Guineas are the most independent species of poultry that there is. They do well free ranging and mine mostly just live on my property, feeding themselves and sheltering themselves. They do stay in the place they'e raised. Problems come when they are moved to a new location, then they tend to wander.

Guinea are way more hardy than chickens and ducks. They tend to keep your other fowl more healthy when they're around, eating harmful insects.

If it was alone, it probably heard and saw your birds and just wanted to socialize. If it comes back, I would let in the pen. There will be a few fights as the pecking order is reestablished, but your flock will probably adopt it. There is really no telling where it came from, someone could have dropped it of in the middle of nowhere, or it may simply be a residential bird left there awhile ago.

All guineas have helmets and large wattles, not just males. The only way to tell is the call. The males are just jabber, it sounds like confused chatter. Females have a clear and distinct, "Buck-Wheat, Buck-Wheat" or "Pot-Rak, Pot-Rak".

Hope this helped!