Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[duluthralphie]

ILLNESS OR WEIRDNESS???

This morning when I went to open the guinea-coop door, there was a guinea on the floor, in the corner, all sort of jammed in, behind where the door would be stopped open. My first impulse was that there was something wrong with it. I picked her up, and it started screeching and struggling, so I let her go. She ran straight outside and when the other guineas went outside they chased her. I was afraid they might really attack her but they didn't.

Then this evening, it was late dusk and I was out there to shut the door. Turned out there was one guinea outside the coop. I waited and she went to the open door and stood there, but wouldn't go in. I crept up closer and she stayed there in place, I went toward her to encourage her to go in the door and she started running around, but she ran in circles around me and on the second try of grabbing her I was able to keep hold of her. She seemed disoriented before the circling, and I've never seen a guinea circle me like that before, much less continue doing it and let me catch them.

I put her in the coop and she stuck by the edge and crept to the back. Do not right now know if she got up on the roost, their solar evening light had not yet come on, perhaps once it does, she'll be able to see to jump up. I don't know if it's the same guinea both times but I suspect so.

Does this behavior ring any bells for anyone? Any thoughts or ideas?

You have a coup taking place or she has fell out of favor, Beware, they may well kill her. I have had that happen when I thought they were getting along again. I put them together and they killed it that day.

Guineas are gangsters above all else, never forget that!

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote:
If you separate one, where do you put her? I wanted to segregate her just on principle because she's acting so strangely. I guess what I mean is, will it make it worse if I separate her?

 

[Navajo Brahmans]

The Guinea fowl has now hatched 7 Keets, the chicken has had 4, she acciedntially killed two while dusting and I have put the other 2 under a heat light.

The guinea fowl is in the green house and her keets are 2-3 days old. I don't think she has feed them yet because she is still sitting on eggs. The eggs are now 31 days old, I opened one that iwas

under the chicken and the chick was alive inside. I put it under the heat light because the chicken would crush it. How much longer should I leave the eggs under both of them?

Will the keets be okay if I take them off the Guinea fowl now? I have the chickens 2 keets under the heat lamp now.

Kind regards,

Cherry

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote:


I found her this morning again huddled in corner, blood on head. Brought her to house but she died a few minutes after I found her, probably 3 mins or something. She has a hole in her head, that is the only thing visibly wrong or damaged. I am pretty disturbed by this. It's obvious the guineas did it.

 

[TJChickens]

So sorry you had to go through that. I had one act exactly like that, including the circling. She had what looked like a small head injury and had gone blind. I separated her and I still have that darn blind bird. That was like three years ago.

Once you separate one out, it's really hard to get them accepted back into the flock. Even after they are well again.

Sorry again that this happened.

 

[duluthralphie]

So sorry you had to go through that. I had one act exactly like that, including the circling. She had what looked like a small head injury and had gone blind. I separated her and I still have that darn blind bird. That was like three years ago.

Once you separate one out, it's really hard to get them accepted back into the flock. Even after they are well again.

Sorry again that this happened.

I do not think separating them made a difference, she was a marked bird when found. It needed another flock at that point. When on the outs with guineas you never get back in.

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote:
@TJChickens Thank you, TJChickens, for letting me know you recognize the signs. I think they had been already pecking at her head yesterday, which is why she was circling and acting so strange.

@duluthralphie I've been reading this thread for 6 months or more and people speak of "gangster" behavior, I find it hard to understand what that really means in terms of birds so while it makes for a funny punchline, it doesn't explain very much to me. Just to say, I still don't understand what people mean by it. Even with this behavior in front of me.

What I want to know is why they turn on one particular bird and what I can do to prevent future occurrences. I am really upset by this. I mean, if this is just part of guinea existence, ok, I guess a person just has to accept that. But is there anything I could do, or could have done, to prevent this occurring? I asked this before I ever got guineas about whether they will attack my chickens-- I'm now feeling pretty concerned about the safety of my hens.

They have lots of room, acres of room to free range in, and their coop is huge, they go in and out of it many times a day.

 

[guineapeeps]

@TJChickens
 Thank you, TJChickens, for letting me know you recognize the signs.  I think they had been already pecking at her head yesterday, which is why she was circling and acting so strange.  

@duluthralphie
 I've been reading this thread for 6 months or more and people speak of "gangster" behavior, I find it hard to understand what that really means in terms of birds so while it makes for a funny punchline, it doesn't explain very much to me.  Just to say, I still don't understand what people mean by it. Even with this behavior in front of me.  

What I want to know is why they turn on one particular bird and what I can do to prevent future occurrences.  I am really upset by this.  I mean, if this is just part of guinea existence, ok, I guess a person just has to accept that.  But is there anything I could do, or could have done, to prevent this occurring?  I asked this before I ever got guineas about whether they will attack my chickens-- I'm now feeling pretty concerned about the safety of my hens.

They have lots of room, acres of room to free range in, and their coop is huge, they go in and out of it many times a day.

Although I have your typical pecking order bullying, I have never had any problem with this kind of behavior where one is picked on to the point of injury or death. I have had guineas for only 4 years, so I am by no means an expert. I have to wonder if there was some sort of illness or injury prior to them tearing in to her. I've heard of poultry and other birds attacking and/or killing an injured bird in the flock and think its probably an instict/nature thing so as not to slow them down and make them more prone to predation. I think the only thing you could have done different is separate her to see if she improved and then introduce her slowly back into the flock. I would not kick yourself though, as she may have had something wrong with her and not have lived anyway or they may not have accepted her back into the flock. A few years back, I had an injured juvenile guinea that couldnt walk well. I removed her and kept her in the house for a few months and returned her to the flock early the next spring once she healed up. The flock accepted here back just fine but I found her dead one morning a few weeks after that. There were no signs of injury from the other birds at all so I have to wonder if she had more problems than I thought. Its always difficult to lose a bird, especially in the way that you did. I wouldnt be too concerned at this point, but would keep an eye out for continued aggressive behavior and/or more injured birds.
As for the criminal/thug behavior, I have not seen this in my guineas. I only have guineas, so obviously they have no one else to pick on, but they don't really pick on each other much...just your typical pecking order stuff. I keep a fairly small flock (10-20) in comparison to other people on here so maybe that makes a difference.

 

[duluthralphie]

For me by gangsters, I mean just the thing that happened. One bird falls out of favor and it is killed, maimed or driven off.

They are more like pack animals than a flock. The leaders can be good or can be bad, When a new leader takes over the old one bites the dust.

They chase each other for hours. They hang out on the road instead of in the yard. I am sure they are selling joints to the passing birds.

I love my guineas, but they are not cuddly friendly birds. I read the stuff some of you say about how well behaved your guineas are and I wonder what is wrong with mine. They will pick fights with the roosters, turkeys and anything else. They are fearless little mobsters.

They do their job for me which is killing wood ticks, They could do it better if they stopped trying to rob motorists or sell them drugs! I have 30 again.

I start each fall with 30 in captivity for my breeding flock. I have 4 free rangers left out of last years 30. BTW they kick the chickens out of the prime roost spots so they can have them.

As much as I hate ducks, they are better behaved than my guineas. Ducks are just dirtier, guineas are not dirty.

 

[duluthralphie]

Although I have your typical pecking order bullying, I have never had any problem with this kind of behavior where one is picked on to the point of injury or death. I have had guineas for only 4 years, so I am by no means an expert. I have to wonder if there was some sort of illness or injury prior to them tearing in to her. I've heard of poultry and other birds attacking and/or killing an injured bird in the flock and think its probably an instict/nature thing so as not to slow them down and make them more prone to predation. I think the only thing you could have done different is separate her to see if she improved and then introduce her slowly back into the flock. I would not kick yourself though, as she may have had something wrong with her and not have lived anyway or they may not have accepted her back into the flock. A few years back, I had an injured juvenile guinea that couldnt walk well. I removed her and kept her in the house for a few months and returned her to the flock early the next spring once she healed up. The flock accepted here back just fine but I found her dead one morning a few weeks after that. There were no signs of injury from the other birds at all so I have to wonder if she had more problems than I thought. Its always difficult to lose a bird, especially in the way that you did. I wouldnt be too concerned at this point, but would keep an eye out for continued aggressive behavior and/or more injured birds.
As for the criminal/thug behavior, I have not seen this in my guineas. I only have guineas, so obviously they have no one else to pick on, but they don't really pick on each other much...just your typical pecking order stuff. I keep a fairly small flock (10-20) in comparison to other people on here so maybe that makes a difference.

Key word is MUCH, hence gangsters!