Question about my new hen

[melroseladi]

I finally opened Lacey's pen door giving her the chance to wander out this morning. My other 3 were already out free ranging. She finally came out and wandered around a little sticking close to the pen, then a bit further, and even further. My alpha male ignored her at first until she went to the front yard. He then chased her clamped onto her back, she ran, he ran, but he never let go of her back. He finally came back and Lacey traipsed through the woods and made it back. The rest of the morning she wandered by herself but the others ignored her. About an hour and a half ago my other male paired off with her and they have been foraging in the back with my other male and hen foraging in the front.

My question is how should I handle them roosting tonight. Lacey is still in her own pen and the other 3 have the adjoining pen. If they do allow Lacey into their pen to roost should I let her stay in there? I don't want my Alpha male tearing her up when she has no place to escape to, and the others joining in an attack that would cause her any harm.

 

[robin416]

If you decide to see if she can roost with them put a hiding place in their coop. A piece of plywood leaning against the wall is all that's necessary. Once a bird zips in to the hiding spot its like they never existed and the bullying stops like an off button was pushed.

 

[melroseladi]

Well Rocky and my first hen went into the flock pen and Bob and my new hen went into her pen. I am going to try and leave them like they are tonight, let them free range tomorrow, and take it from there. I do need to get them all living in one pen as I have baby chicks that are going to be needing one of the pens for a run.

I have to admit I never dreamed it would be this hard to bring another hen into the flock. Bringing in another male I could understand but I just don't get their reluctance to bring in another hen. I haven't given up though. Rocky is a bully and is the boss of the flock without a doubt BUT he is also very protective and not afraid to challenge anything or anyone so I really like knowing he is out there with the rest of them. I don't like that they paired off with each pair foraging in their own area. I really am hoping that they will be a closer flock eventually and stick closer together when they are free ranging.

 

[PeepsCA]

At least you are making some progress with them. I'd give it some more time, paired off is at least a step in the right direction. Once everybody settles down and burns off some breeding season aggression things will hopefully mellow out and they can all go in one coop together. How big is the coop you want them all to coexist in? 4 sq feet per bird is the suggested minimum space requirement, and of course bigger is always better with Guineas. Robin's suggestion of hiding places is a good one, plus try to make sure there's lots of roosting area so no one has to be in anyone else's space if they don't want to be. More than one feeder and waterer is always a good idea too, especially when you have a bully. Sometimes it takes months to integrate adult birds, and breeding season can either work for or against your progress.

 

[melroseladi]

Well I don't have a coop for them actually. They were raised in a hutch up until I got them. Then I got them to "roost" in the doghouse in the kennel run since they were ground roosting. I finally got them to fly up to a roost in the run and now they will only roost in the run. I have a heavy duty chainlink dog run that right now is 20 x 6 with a dividing gate so each side is 10 x 6. I have 4 baby chicks that will be going into part of the run as soon as the coop is finished. The run will then be expanded to 20 x 14, divided into 10 x 14.

I live in Florida so I want them to pretty much have open air housing so the guineas won't have a structured coop per se.

I have made progress with them for sure and I do think that once breeding season slows down then maybe they will settle down and really bond together. We now have 24 eggs in the nest from the first hen but the new hen has not started laying yet. I am also concerned about how they might treat the new hen should Sophia decide to start setting on her eggs.

I will be honest with ya'll, if it had not been for the help I got from here I think I would have rehomed all of them even though I just love them to death. Watching them pace back and forth, back and forth, just broke my heart and made me feel like I was not doing what was best for them.

 

[PeepsCA]

That's plenty of room, I think those birds would pace back and forth even if you tripled that space, so don't beat yourself up about the pacing. And if you rehomed them then they would probably just do the same thing in somebody else's pen! You will eventually get thru the transitional stage and everybody will be content (even you , lol). I think the only times my Guineas ever hold still for more than a 1/2 of a second are when they are roosting/sleeping and when the Hen is laying an egg while her boyfriend is sitting there patiently waiting for her to finish, lol. They are anxious/nervous/active birds by nature... if you have a docile Guinea, there's usually some underlying health reason for it.

Once your Hen starts sitting on her eggs, her mate may stay with her at first, but more than likely he will go out free ranging with the others, but not too far from his Hen. BUT... then there's always the scenario that he could take the new Hen for himself too, just because he's Alpha and he thinks he can do whatever he wants, lol... I've had both scenarios play out many times over the years. I've even had them completely switch mates during the breeding season, lol.

Guineas are absolutely unpredictable and their behaviors are ever changing... you have to just roll with it, lol. As long as you provide their feed, water, a comfortable shelter and protection from predators (plus free range time, which you are working up to)... you're doing just about all you can to keep them happy, the rest is up to them.

Hang in there ladi, it'll get better

 

[BritinMO]

I am SO glad I joined this forum, its a wonderful resource of info, but most of all reading these posts makes me realize that I am in such good company and not alone in my madness when dealing with the guineas!

Although I do feel slightly guilty that I am not joining in the chicken forum - but my 3 hens, Rosie, Cilla and Cyndi are so easy to deal with and so easy going (sit on the bench on the front deck every afternoon for a saltine cracker and a chat about our day!), they look at me at times as if to ask me why on earth I got guineas

 

[melroseladi]

Thanks Robin and PeepsCA. Well as soon as Lacey went in her cage to roost Bob wanted back into the pen with the others. Since Lacey did not have others to help protect her I would lock her into a hanging cage in the pen. Made me feel she was a little safer. First thing this morning Bob was wanting back in the pen with Lacey so I am thinking...or hoping...that he has taken her as a mate.

Although Rocky is the bully of the group he has so much personality and is a riot to watch. When I first put them in the pen with roosting bars both Sophia and Bob jumped right up on them but big bad Rocky didn't figure it out for 2 days. Both Bob and Sophia will fly up to the roof of the house, shed, or even the trees but not Rocky. Rocky rarely flies but runs like a sprinter on the ground. He is so comical with his fluffed up feathers running while doing the side step. Last week I got a 3 week old kid and Rocky's reaction when he first saw him was priceless. Bob and Sophia just took the new addition with a grain of salt but Rocky was side stepping all over the yard, feathers fluffed, wings cocked, neck stretched. He is so comical. Sophia is pretty mellow and allows me to pet her and will squat down next to me. Bob's personality is in between. My new hen Lacey is not quite as mellow as Sophia and is a flier since she was raised completely free ranging and roosting in trees. I was worried she would not go back to her pen after a day of free ranging but she did.

They never stop amazing me and just when I think I have them figured out, they make me realize that there is no figuring them out.