Outcast

[freebirds]

I have 7 Guinea's. They are 1 year old now, and thank you by the way to everyone on here. We got loads of good information and advice in the begining last spring. They are all still healthy through a log cold winter! Now we have a problem... one of our birds seems to be the outcast! There is one that is very mean to it and sometimes two mean ones. Now this outcast will not go in the pen at night. It hids with it's head in a corner wherever it can when the two mean birds come after it it never fights back. We are not sure if it is a male or female. We are pretty sure we have 2 female and 5 male, by the sounds they make. (Thanks for that tip by the way!) What is the deal with this sudden attitude it really just started 2 weeks ago when the snow finally cleared and they started coming out of the pen again. Any advice?

 

[unlucky picker]

Freebirds I'm with you. Got all my guineas last year. Have some eggs laid so knew I have at least one hen. Mine are still in a pen because I'm trying to get eggs before I turn them loose. Two are chocolate and came from the same breeder. One is doing good with the other three but keeps his sibling away. Sibling is smaller and waddle is smaller you would think they are not the same sex. Feeding and watering that one seperate. Probably gonna have to take it out of pen. What's the deal? Like you just started having problems.

 

[nailladi]

Love is in the air, when mating season begins the males begin to compete for female attention. If you have to many males they will weed out weaker ones and eventually starve it out or kill it. Survival of the fittest. You need 1 male to up to 5 hens. I would pen up hens and a male with them and let the extra males free range. Maybe they could go to another pen at night for security. Your hen(s) and male(s) can be let out after hens stop laying. Just my opinion.

 

[unlucky picker]

I just thought because of all the differences in my 2 chocolate they would be different sex. Could my smaller chocolate just not be ready to mate? If it keeps up guess my smaller chocolate will go in with my lone runner male. I have a feeling when I let my guineas out they will join my neighbors flock. Of course his stays in my yard more than his.

 

[freebirds]

Thanks everyone! Figures we'd get only 2 female 5 male! So... I need to keep 1 male 2 female in and leave 4 male out. I will try that only problem we will have is identifying the 1 female. One is easy to tell she lost a "toenail" somehow. We don't have another pen though so we will have to take our chances. There is always 1 and sometimes 2 that refuse to go in and so far they are OK. I see them on top of the pen in the morning. We don't really care one way or another about them laying eggs. We mainly got them to try and help control the tick population without pesticides! They seem to be dividing into 2 groups 3 go off together one way and 4 the other. They are quite amusing to watch. I am also trying to figure out how to keep them off my deck and out of my flower garden! Any suggestions? Going to try some tea tree oil and vinegar. Works with bugs, maybe if there are no bugs they won't go there??