Sexing guinea fowl

[Joeyjojo]

Can anyone help me sex these birds and can anyone tell me why the 3 together wont let the light one near them even though they was all together please

 

[SmiYa0126]

Do they sound like machine guns or do they scream come back or buckwheat?

 

[R2elk]

Can anyone help me sex these birds and can anyone tell me why the 3 together wont let the light one near them even though they was all together please

Guineas cannot be sexed from pictures. Sexing by the sound they make can work since only the hens make the "buckwheat" sound.

Guineas being guineas is why they have ostracized the one guinea. Yoou really need more guineas for them to have proper flock dynamics. Guineas are a flock bird and do best in large groups of guineas. I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas. If you had more guineas the lower ranked guineas would hang together instead of a single guinea having to absorb the displeasure of the other ones.

Guineas like all birds tend to be segregationists and shun any members that are different.

 

[SamLockwood]

Guineas don't have much in the way of external sexual dimorphism: there's some slight differences in head shape: the males tend to have blockier heads and larger casques ("helmets"). But these are relatively slight differences. Some "experts" say you can tell by wattle shape, but I found out that half of my "males" I based on that were actually hens.

Anywhere from 6 weeks on the females will start making a two-tone call. They'll do this when they're separated from the flock or when it's springtime and they're looking for a mate (at which point they'll make this noise CONSTANTLY).

All guineas will make a single-tone call when agitated or when the males are trying to call females:

Males will tend to charge other guineas with their head down: this is either to chase off rival males or to see if the hen is willing to mate.

When mated guineas are foraging the male will often sit down while the female forages. They'll also stand guard outside a nesting area while the female lays eggs. If you're near a female guinea in the nest they'll also make some unique sounds in there:

Males are also more "friendly" in that they're usually the ones that will come check you out when you enter the yard. This is the opposite of my chickens where the hens are the ones that some of them will literally try to hop on your lap while the roosters tend to keep their distance.

As to why they're ostracizing another guinea: who knows? It could be the male-to-female ratio is way off (they prefer 1:1), or somebody didn't share a treat with them, or they just made eye contact one day and decided the other had to go. Guineas love to fight each other. In the summer I had two males that would spar and chase each other for hours even though there were enough hens to go around. Now that it's getting colder it's the girls that get into scuffles.

 

[Sequestered Ridge Ranch]

I know of the 16 I got there is at least one male and I don't hear machine sounds from the males, as combat vet of 5 tours I sure know that tone and would be hitting the deck each time if I did.