Mean male guinea...will it get better?

[sred98]

I think my older pair of guineas are getting "mature". The male is getting downright vicious with my chickens, and even the dog. I was wondering if they are just getting to breeding age, and once they get past the "teenage hormones" they will be friendlier to the other birds. He will even charge the other guineas, but not his mate. He got the whole group (5 other guineas) to attack my BR roo, and I rescued him where they had him cornered. He is even starting to attack the 3 older hens that helped raise him.

We did get 2 new guineas a week ago, and he has been more aggressive since then. Do you think it is having a bigger flock? Will he grow out of it, or should he be dinner? I really like him. He is a very good protector of the flock, and only alarms when it is a real threat.

If we eat him, will his mate pair up with another? I thought they were pretty monogamous.

Thanks,

Shelly

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I don't know, but watch out for any children in your yard until he improves or leaves. I had to dispatch my guinea cock at about 6 months right after he attacked my youngest son. He was 5 years old and just playing in his sandbox, not chasing or bothering the guineas in any way. But as the cock walked by he turned and pecked my boy on his face all around his eyes. I never gave the bird a chance to see if he'd grow out of it or would dare to attack an adult.

I wish for a better outcome with your guineas, I don't know if they're all like that.

 

[sred98]

These haven't been aggressive to people in any way. I'm the only one they come near. It's mainly to my roosters.

Shelly

 

[Aj1911]

male guineas do this to any other bird especially roosters and its worse in mating season (spring to fall) if your guineas are adults that's why there doing it (its mating season now)

watch them some males will come at you, one of mine does it to me, usually he just runs at ya all puffed up with his wings up, they rarely bite unless provoked.

and sunny i would of put that one in the freezer in a heart beat ( i had to put 2 really mean males in the freezer my self, the one i have now isnt too bad just thinks he's boss

)

 

[Debbienmousey]

I really don't know :\\ Hopefully he'll grow out of it. Unless he does something extremely drastic I'd keep him until winter to see if his mood changes. Our guinea cocks have always been pretty easy going with the other birds but lately our youngest adult has taken a big disliking to the 15 week old chicks we have.

I'm surprised your guineas actually ganged up on your roo - I feel so sorry for your roo though! Rarely both of our cocks will chase the same rooster, but our hens never bother the chickens. (Well, as long as they don't have any keets)

I would watch him and make sure he's not hurting anybody too bad. If he is, do you have another guinea cock? You may want to cage this guy or separate him with 1 or 2 guinea hens during the mating season. How old is this guy anyway? I'm thinking it's a teenager/new adult thing because our 2 year old cock is fairly gentle to our chickens but our 1 year old cock is starting to bully them more. Maybe they need another year to settle down?

Hope you figure it out before your roosters loose all their tail feathers! Good luck

 

[sred98]

Yeah, they were born first of March, so I figure they are going through their rowdy teenager stage. He is really a good protector, so I really want to keep him. I do have another male, but he is so submissive, he is at the bottom of the pecking order.

I felt really bad for the roo, too. He just lay down on the ground and they all surrounded him!

Then, when I picked him up, one of the guineas jumped up on the fence and was going to bite him while I was holding him. It was really bad. I just wondered if he tried to breed a guinea, or something. They are all about the same age.

Shelly

 

[froggie71]

I don't know the answer, but I hope he does out grow aggressiveness, because then I'll have hope for my male guinea. He attacks any of our birds even when they aren't near him. We had to make seperate housing for the guineas. We used to house them with the ducks with no problems until mating season started then he attacked our drake quite badly. My DS, though he hates how he attacks the other birds, loves him, so I'm just hoping this is a phase.

 

[Aj1911]

this is what usually happens the first mating season the second they are better and in winter there fine just watch them and make sure they dont hurt anyone.

 

[damselfish]

Our guineas are kind of jerks to our chickens, but not that bad...they will just chase them off from a particular spot, and then ignore them once they've moved several feet away.

To some extent it's an age thing here. My older chickens outrank the guineas and will actually chase them. The younger chickens are chased.

One thing I've heard said, and I see it happening at our place, is that guineas can and will hold chickens, particularly roosters, off the food. I have multiple feeding spots and free range, so I don't worry much about it when I see it happening. The chickens can just go to another feeder.

Sorry for all the rambling, but I guess my point is to make sure the chickens are getting to eat.

I'd be inclined to cull the mean guinea if it has escalated into something as bad as you describe...did the rooster get hurt? Maybe give it a few more weeks and keep an eye on meanie.

 

[sred98]

Quote:
This is what I was wanting to hear! LOL!

Gives me hope for him. I love my guineas, although I am dying to cook one and see how it tastes. Just didn't want it to be this one. LOL!

I got to the rooster before they hurt him. He was running around the yard screaming with 5 guineas chasing him. They cornered him against the fence pulling out feathers, and when he got trapped he just lay down. I was really surprised.

They have started being aggressive to the older hens. Not chasing them, but pulling a feather out here and there. The girls scream and flap at them, but they still eat and roost together. I have noticed it has been since I got the 2 new older guineas. I think he is just really protective (and proud) of his flock. He will charge the other 3 guineas occasionally. Never his mate. And he never actually attacks them, just charges.

The rooster that they attacked is the BR that I am planning on keeping. He's just started crowing and I think that aggravates the guineas, too.

Who knows what those crazy birds are thinking! LOL!

Thanks for all the replies!

Shelly