My guineas (1 F & 6 M) free range now, but the girl is solo due to mean males

[hysop]

My guineas were hatched around the first week of June in 2019 (that makes them around 6 months old). I started off with a good handful more than 7 but alas I only have 7 adults and only 1 is female.

Before I let them free range the males would not let the female eat. So I finally decided to just let them free range. I tried separating them, but it didn’t work out so well, they kept calling for each other so they are back together.

As they free range the males stick together but they shoo the female away sometimes so she follows closely but not too close. Will they always be mean to her? What about when they need to mate? Should I eventually separate the female and one male?

 

[R2elk]

My guineas were hatched around the first week of June in 2019 (that makes them around 6 months old). I started off with a good handful more than 7 but alas I only have 7 adults and only 1 is female.

Before I let them free range the males would not let the female eat. So I finally decided to just let them free range. I tried separating them, but it didn’t work out so well, they kept calling for each other so they are back together.

As they free range the males stick together but they shoo the female away sometimes so she follows closely but not too close. Will they always be mean to her? What about when they need to mate? Should I eventually separate the female and one male?

I suspect that when breeding season arrives, the rituals and fights will end up with one male being dominant over the rest of the males. That dominant male should choose the hen as his mate. The rest of the males should form a bachelor group.

 

[hysop]

@R2elk — thanks! So right now they’re just being mean teenagers or something?

 

[R2elk]

@R2elk — thanks! So right now they’re just being mean teenagers or something?

Pretty much, just guineas being guineas.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

My guineas were hatched around the first week of June in 2019 (that makes them around 6 months old). I started off with a good handful more than 7 but alas I only have 7 adults and only 1 is female.

Before I let them free range the males would not let the female eat. So I finally decided to just let them free range. I tried separating them, but it didn’t work out so well, they kept calling for each other so they are back together.

As they free range the males stick together but they shoo the female away sometimes so she follows closely but not too close. Will they always be mean to her? What about when they need to mate? Should I eventually separate the female and one male?

Beautiful group! It’s so funny because I have the opposite problem - too few males! When I had eight females and one male, the cock and four hens would stick together and chase away the other four hens, who would follow on the fringes. I added 10 juveniles who are about the age of yours now. Those 10 are half male and half female. The four oldest males and two of the most dominant females form the core group. The one month younger male goes in and out of this group. Most of the young females are again in the fringe group that follows the main, mostly male group but is attacked if they get too close. So, it seems that it may be normal for the males to form the core group when not in breeding season? I think that the fringe females may serve as scouts and alarms to the rest of the group... it’s our males that chase off squirrels and crows, but the females that are always alert and looking for danger...