pecking order or meaner personality just not sure, please help

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emmas chicks

emmas chicks

In the Brooder
5 Years
Nov 1, 2014
2
0
35
I started raising chicks 6 mths ago . I started with 6 ( 1 rooster 5 hens ) . Then I wanted some guineas to help keep snakes, ticks, fleas & etc out of the yard so a few weeks later I got 4 guineas & 3 regular hens they are now 4 mths old. This group of 7 was together from birth. I kept them in a separate area next to the others separated by a fence. I slowly introduced them to the yard to free range with others.
Things went pretty good for a while , just normal pecking & chasing. Recently the guineas have started to peck & run the 3 hens they were raised with off & they have to go to hiding places. They are scared to even go into the coop at night. I have to go find them & put them in there so they will have protection. I feel so sorry for them. I don't understand why since they were raised together they are doing this. The guineas follow the rooster around a lot.
So should I remove the guineas & put them in a different coop or let them continue to do this to the 3 youngest ? Or maybe get a rooster for just the guineas ? I just want to do the right thing so they all will be safe & not stressed.
Thank you for any help you can give me.
 

Sorry about the bullying going on.

I wouldn't separate them entirely..yet! Try this first. Put the guineas in a cage or pen (big enough for them to walk around, scratch, roost, etc) and keep them in there for a few days. Make sure it's near the other birds. Then let them rejoin each other. Hopefully the guineas will be more calm and friendly. Otherwise, yes, house the guineas separately.

Good luck!
 
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X2 on Mountain Peeps' advice.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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I personally feel that different fowl need to be kept separate from each other. They each have different feed requirements, nesting habits and roosting arrangements. So if these were my birds I would give the guineas their own space.
 
Welcome to BYC!
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We're glad to have you.

You've received some good advice above from Mountain Peeps and TwoCrows.
 
I know nothing about guineas but I am wondering if the guineas think the rooster is THEIRS and don't want the chicken hens around him. Maybe if they get a guinea male they will behave differently.
 
Thank you all for your info & help. After I received the 1st reply I had decided to separate the guineas from the regular chickens. But the next day I went out & found one of my smaller reg chickens dead . There was no blood or sign of a predator . I do believe it was the guineas, but no proof. So I decided to give them away to a friend who raises chickens & wanted them.
So far things have been going well since they are gone. I also believe the youngest chicks ( 4 mth old ) are less stressed & they also go right into the hen house at night now where before they hid in the bushes.
I didn't think mixing the 2 kinds would be a problem since they were together from birth, but I guess they just were more aggressive. I wish I had never got them , but too late now , I have learned a hard lesson.
Again thank you all.
 

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