Should you keep only ONE guinea hen...

[Sunny Side Up]

...or should I find my single surviving guinea hen a friend?

Three years ago I bought 5 lavender guinea keats from the feed store. It's been a pleasure watching them range around the yard together. But due to a variety of circumstances over the years we're now down to just one. Number 4, Savanna, died yesterday.

Our remaining guinea, Blanche, seems a bit lost & confused today. She's running around somewhat frantically, calling more than usual, and not getting any answers.

Will she eventually get used to being the only one of her kind? There sure are lots & lots of chickens, ducks, & geese in the yard to give her bird company. Would she do better having another guinea to pal around with? And would Blanche, at age 3, get along with another adult guinea hen brought into the yard? Would that be more stressful than being alone?

Please help me decide. Thank you.

 

[Aj1911]

if shes female get a male for her or a few more guineas would be good other wise she prolly wont calm down.

 

[Debbienmousey]

She is most likely mourning the loss of her friend. I would probably suggest bringing in some more guinea hens, or better yet if she decides to nest get her some fertile guinea eggs and let her hatch herself some friends.

Good luck

 

[purelypoultry]

You can successfully raise just one guinea hen just the same as you can raise just one human. Although what fun is it for human or guinea to be the only one. I know I loved having a brother.

 

[damselfish]

She will likely be calmer with a group of guineas around her to socialize with.

 

[txchickie]

She will calm down, we gave 5 guineas to a friend and 4 were ran over all at once

They had many other chickens, and for a while the 1 remaining guinea hen wandered around frantic calling for the others, she evenutally did settle in with the chickens. It took a couple of weeks

but they didn't want anymore guineas, they just wandered into the road.

 

[Cheyangel]

She will calm down, we gave 5 guineas to a friend and 4 were ran over all at once

They had many other chickens, and for a while the 1 remaining guinea hen wandered around frantic calling for the others, she evenutally did settle in with the chickens. It took a couple of weeks

but they didn't want anymore guineas, they just wandered into the road.

I have just one left, she's been the only guinea left for awhile, and she settled on with our chickens very well, became friends with them even. But now we lost the rest of our flock in a couple of days so now I'm worried about her running off??? She's a bit lost now, as she seen the whole thing go down with the other chickens, we went and got more chickens and ducks but they aren't old enough yet to be.let loose. But she will nest up above the babies at night, is this normal?

 

[R2elk]

I have just one left, she's been the only guinea left for awhile, and she settled on with our chickens very well, became friends with them even. But now we lost the rest of our flock in a couple of days so now I'm worried about her running off??? She's a bit lost now, as she seen the whole thing go down with the other chickens, we went and got more chickens and ducks but they aren't old enough yet to be.let loose. But she will nest up above the babies at night, is this normal?

This thread is from 2009. The person you replied to has not been on BYC since 2015.