Should i get more guinea fowls?

[Liruel]

I got 2 baby guinea fowls and 2 baby chickens about 7 months ago and all turned out to be boys ! Roosters were a little bit older and They raised guinea fowls. They were inseparable! But unfortunately in my neighborhood i cannot keep roosters, so i found a great farm with over 30 female chickens and no roosters. The owner has no intention in killing my roosters and is willing to keep them alive as much as they can live.
When I removed my roosters, the guinea fowls were crying and acted very confused, so I got them two female chickens. I dont see the same relationship as they had with roosters, but no one is fighting, so i am happy. But , now i found out that guinea fowls can be agressive during mating season and i am aftaid for my chickens. Do i get more chickens? Or do i get female guines fowls, should i get two of each?

Ps. my gunea fowls are relatively quiet and rarely make the loud sound during a day, and never early morning like roosters, so it is not an issue.

 

[hysop]

Guineafowl are flock birds. You need a minimum of 10 guineafowl. They are monogamous so do get them a female each.

I got some female guinea hens from someone and they were raised with chickens and rather be with them than my male guineas but maybe that will change once mating season comes.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I got 2 baby guinea fowls and 2 baby chickens about 7 months ago and all turned out to be boys ! Roosters were a little bit older and They raised guinea fowls. They were inseparable! But unfortunately in my neighborhood i cannot keep roosters, so i found a great farm with over 30 female chickens and no roosters. The owner has no intention in killing my roosters and is willing to keep them alive as much as they can live.
When I removed my roosters, the guinea fowls were crying and acted very confused, so I got them two female chickens. I dont see the same relationship as they had with roosters, but no one is fighting, so i am happy. But , now i found out that guinea fowls can be agressive during mating season and i am aftaid for my chickens. Do i get more chickens? Or do i get female guines fowls, should i get two of each?

Ps. my gunea fowls are relatively quiet and rarely make the loud sound during a day, and never early morning like roosters, so it is not an issue.

A functional flock of Guinea fowl are much louder than roosters. Guinea fowl flocks are infamous for their incredible volume and constant chatter. If you get female Guinea fowl it sounds likely that your neighborhood will be unhappy. Maybe you’d be best off with a flock of chicken hens? Your Guinea cocks will do best in a group of guineas with a little freedom, so perhaps you can find a Guinea flock that they can join out in the country?

 

[Liruel]

Guineafowl are flock birds. You need a minimum of 10 guineafowl. They are monogamous so do get them a female each.

I got some female guinea hens from someone and they were raised with chickens and rather be with them than my male guineas but maybe that will change once mating season comes.

Interesting. I think i might have a similar situation. My guineas cuddle and sleep with my new chicks. I wonder if female guineas that are not raised by chickens might end up lonely if i get them and i dont need unhappy and loud guineas lol

 

[R2elk]

Interesting. I think i might have a similar situation. My guineas cuddle and sleep with my new chicks. I wonder if female guineas that are not raised by chickens might end up lonely if i get them and i dont need unhappy and loud guineas lol

Guinea hens are loud especially when calling for a mate.

 

[hysop]

Oh yeah! I don't know what I was thinking. As Mixed flock enthusiast said, guineas are way louder than roosters. It is best to rehome your male guineas to someone who has a whole flock of them and will let them roam freely. Once mating season comes you do not want your chickens cooped up with your guineas. They will pester them so much even unto death sometimes.

Mine free range so even if the female guineas I have prefer the chickens while free ranging at least they have slowly migrated to sleeping with the males away from the chickens.

 

[Liruel]

Oh yeah! I don't know what I was thinking. As Mixed flock enthusiast said, guineas are way louder than roosters. It is best to rehome your male guineas to someone who has a whole flock of them and will let them roam freely. Once mating season comes you do not want your chickens cooped up with your guineas. They will pester them so much even unto death sometimes.

Mine free range so even if the female guineas I have prefer the chickens while free ranging at least they have slowly migrated to sleeping with the males away from the chickens.

Mine are free range too tho…. But i will definitely consider rehoming them if there will be any aggression from them. I am also currently looking for a farm land, so i dont want to give them up right now. I love them and hoping i can move them soon to my own little farm

 

[Sydney65]

Mine are free range too tho…. But i will definitely consider rehoming them if there will be any aggression from them. I am also currently looking for a farm land, so i dont want to give them up right now. I love them and hoping i can move them soon to my own little farm

So.....I'm the outlier here... the only time I had a bunch of guineas was after a hatch. One predator and I was quickly back to less than ten. I started off with 6 and it +/- some but usually 6-7. And this is only my 3rd year so I'm no pro.
But - they had their flock dynamics just fine. There was an alpha couple and the rest fell in line. They do not always mate for life, when my male's mate died, he quickly moved on to her sister. When she died (it was a very bad predator year), he actually grieved. When new keets were hatched from the incubator, he and the alpha male happily took up coparenting while my last hen sat on her eggs.
I can't say how yours will react to new keets if they are males at 7-8 months old. Mine were full grown adults. Mixed's male was young when his mate hatched her eggs, and he wasn't exactly paternal with them. The age concept is merely a theory. We've inquired, but no guinea has responded.
On the other hand, the incubated female raised by the males was only weeks older than the broodie's hatch, and she became a nanny to those keets, despite the fact that the hen treated her horribly. Now those two are companions.
I always vote for more guineas. Guinea are aggressive. But @R2elk has both, coops then separately, and if I remember correctly, I believe they ignore each other while free ranging, so the key seems to be separate housing.
Personally, I would get more. At the moment there are only 3 hens out there, I have my spring order in for more. I've made sure they have access to heat this winter bc 3 birds do not create enough heat. They might survive without it, but I could tell the difference in their behavior when the power went out.

 

[Moonbeam Guineas]

Guinea hens are loud especially when calling for a mate.

Interesting. I am new to guineas also and this makes sense. I have a flock of 12, one of my female buff colored guineas is ALWAYS loud ..I wonder if she looking for a mate. My guineas have also just started free ranging and I will keep observing their behaviors (they are so fun) but I think one male may have 2 hens?

 

[R2elk]

Interesting. I am new to guineas also and this makes sense. I have a flock of 12, one of my female buff colored guineas is ALWAYS loud ..I wonder if she looking for a mate. My guineas have also just started free ranging and I will keep observing their behaviors (they are so fun) but I think one male may have 2 hens?

Yes she is calling for a mate. Once they are paired up the calling subsides. Not all males are content with a single hen especially when their current hen goes broody. Some will only take one mate.