Male or female

[PoultryLady2023]

Got these 2 guineas off a couple workers neighbor. Can anyone tell me if they are male or female? And how old they are?

 

[sourland]

They appear to be mature birds. Best way to sex Guinea fowl is voice sexing. Males have a staccato type voice, females have the same but also make a two syllable 'buck wheat' sound.

 

[R2elk]

Got these 2 guineas off a couple workers neighbor. Can anyone tell me if they are male or female? And how old they are?

Guineas cannot be sexed from photos.

 

[PoultryLady2023]

They appear to be mature birds. Best way to sex Guinea fowl is voice sexing. Males have a staccato type voice, females have the same but also make a two syllable 'buck wheat' sound.

 

[SamLockwood]

If I were to guess I'd say the picture on the right might be a female. I can't see the the other's head well enough to tell. Even then at best it's a guess that at best is only correct about 2 out of 3 times.

Behavior is a much better indicator. The females are the only ones that make a two tone call that most people say sounds like "buck-wheat" but to me sounds like a meaningless "guh-wahk!". The females will make this sound if they get separated from their flock and on spring when they're looking for a mate they'll make this sound CONSTANTLY.

Males also tend to be a bit more friendly, and when they're foraging as a flock the males will often either sit down or take a pose I call "standing tall" (back almost perpendicular to the ground, neck extended) and keep watch for predators while the hens forage.

When guinea hens lay eggs they'll make a warbling call that's like a softer, more rapid version of their "guh-wahk" call. The males stand guard over the nest entrance while the hens lay eggs or are brooding over the nest.