slinging each other around?

[artsyrobin]

my guineas have been fighting, banging at each other and grabbing one another by their wattles- any ideas as to what is going on?

 

[robin416]

Can you imagine them doing that to a chicken? Because that's what they would do. Its part of the hierarchy challenge and why it is so important to have enough males for it to occur. This ain't nothin'. Wait until Spring then it really kicks up a notch with the chase. Grabbing wings and spinning around in circles while the bird grabbing the wing hangs on for dear life.

Guineas are strong, they're fast and they can take a pounding like chickens can't. I rarely see blood from this behavior but it can happen.

 

[artsyrobin]

well we did have 2 pairs, but lost one of the females over the summer- i have a 3 month female waiting to be integrated- so currently it is 2 males to the poor female- but being december and cold weather i hesitate to integrate her...

 

[zazouse]

Are your guineas keep in a pen?

Guineas are like a group of thugs with nothing to do, they chase each other and just when ya think one is getting hurt the chase stops the guinea being chased turns around and runs at the chaser then turns and runs to get the other one going again.

Mine free range and i swear they can do this all day long.

They love walking threw the rooster fights confusing the roos.

Sometimes one will give a rooster a terrible time and then i see a group following a roo like he was the suprem guinea, they are just crazy critters.

 

[robin416]

Quote:
Oh, my word yes. The chase its about the most entertaining they do. Up to a point. I've stepped in between the chasee and chaser when the chase has gone on for hours just to have the chasee turn around and go back to pick up the chaser.

And when a male will dodge at another trying to get him to chase and all he gets is the other bird making a half hearted dodge at at him. We sat on the porch one day and watched this one bird try for fifteen minutes to get another male to chase him. Its a hoot.

 

[lcw1995]

i love "the chase"
i do break it up if it goes on for hours...
its like there feet aint even hitting the ground because theyre going sooooo fast!!!!

i only have 3 males and 2 females but plan on getting lots more in the spring...
its cool because since they pair up the males dont all beat up on one hen like rooster chickens do.
the male just attacks other males if they get close to his female.
i just love guineas!!!

 

[jarcoo0153]

Well, my Guineas don't chase eachother yet, but I had to let mine out of the pen, because they would gang up on my red chickens, and pull feathers out. I don't know why they only bothered the red ones.

 

[lcw1995]

yes like zazouse said they are like a group of thugs wanting to beat up on almost everybody.
my guineas i hatched out under a chicken hen. they were hatched in july and still think that the hen is there mom and follow her around everywhere as well as her other chick she hatched out in september.
they dont attack any of my chickens that they have been raised with. just the new ones that i brought home from the chicken show.
i have two adult guineas and all they want to do is chase eachother/everybody and beat eachother/everybody up. its crazy.

 

[artsyrobin]

well, now they are best friends again... our guineas get harrassed by one particular pullet- rather than being the bully they run when they see her coming

 

[N. Virginia]

Hi All:
It is funny to watch them sudddenly go crazy and fly around like mad.

I have chickens (8 hens, 1 roo) and 3 guineys of unknown sex (possibly one male?), all around 5 months old. They are all picking on one little chicken hen. The guineys are the bosses, followed by a lead chicken, followed by a little rooster.

Do you think they will ever be nice to the little hen? She doesn't seem hurt, just totally intimidated...hides all the time, comes out to eat when they are not watching.

One guiney tonight got hold of the boss chicken's wing after chasing her - chicken sqawked, got away, and all went back to normal. I think it was the male guiney...at least the noisiest.

Cheers,
N. VA