Male or Female Guineas

[stefshens]

Just wondering if you could offer opinions as to what you think. I'm thinking both male becasue they have only made chi sound so far and my third guinea is making the buck wheat sound. They are probably around 10 weeks? Any thoughts?

 

[lightchick]

I think you have a male and a female.

 

[critters]

The white is a male but can't see the Greys waddle cups very well...maybe a female..

 

[bemba]

Only reliable way to sex them is by voice.... wattles can be large and cupped on females and also you can get males with flat wattles. The lighter bird in the pic is male and the darker 2 are female.

 

[ColesCreek]

stefshens, The only way to sex them is by wattles the voice way is hopless and 80% of the time wrong. All the proper breeders in the world go by wattles stefshens so just do that

 

[R2elk]

stefshens, The only way to sex them is by wattles the voice way is hopless and 80% of the time wrong. All the proper breeders in the world go by wattles stefshens so just do that

Here in the United States, sexing guineas by voice is the second most accurate method. The most accurate method is vent sexing of adult guineas.

Sexing guineas by wattles is very inaccurate. I personally have had male guineas that had the same size and shape wattles as my hen guineas.

@bemba is 100% correct in his statement about sexing by voice.

I personally have never had a guinea male that can make the buck-wheat sound. Hen guineas can make all the sounds that male guineas make but to the best of my knowledge, only the hens can make the buck-wheat sound.

 

[BarbaraNH]

I think the most accurate way to sex guineas anywhere around the world is by their ability to lay an egg. Of course that would mean waiting until they are sexually mature, which might happen at 4 months or not until they are about a year old. Wattles might work in some countries, but not usually in the U.S. where wattle size and shape are so variable that you can't always tell by comparing wattles alone. What seems to work for me is to look the guinea straight in the eye. If male, he will stare right back at you while standing tall or turning his body sideways. If female, she will look away, look down, or start pecking at the ground. Worked every time I tried it, but I can't say whether it would work for everybody. Maybe my males just didn't trust me! Posture can be a tell-tale sign. Males tend to keep their heads up high, while females will walk with their heads out in front of them and their bodies more horizontal. Going on that, I'd say the two guineas in the pictures are both males, but that's just a guess.

 

[stefshens]

Thanks, everyone. It has been a little while since this post and I still have not heard the two syllabic sound, so I am now thinking both are males. Thanks for the input!

 

[GuineaFowling]

stefshens, The only way to sex them is by wattles the voice way is hopless and 80% of the time wrong. All the proper breeders in the world go by wattles stefshens so just do that

I disagree. I have raised and bred guineas for six years and have had females with larger helmets and wattles than some males of the same age. It all depends on genetics and heritage on howlarge the guinea will be in size and weight and how large their wattles and helmets will be. I have met several breeders who breed for size while others breed for temperament. The best way to tell gender is as R2elk and bemba have said, with vent sexing and voice. No male guinea has ever in my time raising them ever made a buckwheat call. The males also stand taller and raise their wings. Of course I had a few feisty females do this as well. You could also wait until they lay eggs but that will be along time and you wont really know who is laying eggs unless you are out there watching.
The white guinea looks like a male. The pearl I am unsure of. If you could upload a better photo that would help.

Goodluck!