Should I re home my lavender males?

[gguineasfamily]

I have 19 free ranging pearl grey guineas, 8 females and 11 males. All last year this ratio worked well and this year too. But then we got 3 lavenders hoping 2 of them were girls. Turned out to be 2 males one female. I thought the males would go to their sister but no they fight with the pearl greys for the pearl grey girls. And Sunset the female lavender has no one. She just wanders around on her own because even the pearl grey females pick on her. December the pearl grey was hit by a car a couple of months ago and broke his leg. He's all better now but is struggling to rejoin the flock. He wants a pearl grey girl and his brothers aren't too bad to him but the lavender males want to fight them as they want to go up in the pecking order.

Should I sell my lavender males to a good home as they have no girls anyway? Im just worried they will be terribly upset at moving. I've seen how upset guineas can be when they move. But if I have to I will sell them to a good home where they will be happy and looked after very well. What type of home will they be happiest in? I would also like to be able to visit them.

Is there any other way to sort out their fighting problems without selling them? I heard a 1 girl to 2 male ratio is good for maximum egg fertility but I really want no one to be lonely and everyone to have someone.

 

[Percheron chick]

It can be hard to rehome adult guineas and get them to stay. They have a reputation of trying to return home.

I would rather have a few extra hens than cocks. I have 5/3. Fairly peaceful herd but they still bicker at times and get after the younger chickens. They were all raised at the same time so that's probably part of the cohesiveness. Your lavenders are "different" and outsiders. They will probably never be part of the original group. I would either add more to get that group up to 6+ or get rid of them. You could also toss the one lav hen in with your chickens and see how she does. Let the males duke it out. They are vulnerable when they are not part of a large group. You should have a few of the pearl hens sitting pretty soon and that might really stir things up.

You are also right at the start of the breeding season so there is going to be more scuffles while they sort the hierarchy out. More girls will always help.

 

[gguineasfamily]

Thank you. I will think about that. I would like to make the lavenders group bigger but I don't know how. The original four that we bought are kind of friends with the lavenders though. They are two males and two females and also aren't "in" the big group of guineas I hatched and hand raised.