Will my guineas kill one another?

[Akane]

I have guineas and when the cocks reach adolescence it can result in a hell of a life for the lowest bird in the pecking order for several months of the year. I had to lock up a bad bully for 3 months last year because he was set on injuring my roosters and other guinea cocks. From your previous post the birds was only getting badly torn up by both guineas and roosters even after releasing them to free range. Removing a bird to medicate it also often makes the situation worse when reintroducing it because it's lost any standing it might have had and has to go through the pecking order again. If you notice just 1 or 2 that are doing most of the bullying then it works better to remove them for awhile so they lose their place and it gives the ones at the bottom time to establish themselves better before reintroducing the bullies. Even if you do everything you can to lessen aggression and they improve some as they get older if you have a bird that is noticeably weaker than the rest it generally is destined to only lead a rough life. All the times I've babied them along it's only been so they could spend much of their time slightly separate from the flock getting beat up when they try to get feed or shoved off the roosts until something happens to kill them. That's why if it reaches the point severe injuries are being inflicted by the others and I don't have one bully I want to remove to help fix the situation I will butcher the bottom of the group or sell them to a home with no other male birds. Most of the time though I've been able to pick out the aggressor instead and the rest of the birds are much more content when that one is gone.

 

[SunnyD]

That the last time I wrote it I mentioned that the ostracized bird seemed to be getting along now that they are out during the day. Well the next morning I found "Blue" dead in the coop. That left 13 guineas with still one "low" bird. I was able to gather them and herd them to their coop at night and would catch my loner "Blackie"and put him by himself over night and then let them out in the morning. A few days later the guineas started roosting on top of my barn I was able to chase (scare) several off the and into the coop, next day...11 Guineas including "Blackie." The remaining Guineas started roosting very high up in the trees close to their coop and I could no longer shut them up at night. I'm down to 7 when I counted this morning with at least a few of them disappearing during the day! That's 7 guineas gone in the 6 days since I started this post! All of my other free ranging chickens, ducks and geese are doing fine with no losses. I'm hoping the missing guineas have just decided living in the surrounding hundreds of acres is a better choice and have not been taken by predators because at the rate I'm losing them what happens when they are all gone!

 

[robin416]

If their housing is still the tractor that would be the reason for the problems you're having. Guineas naturally roost as high as they can get to get out of the reach of ground predators.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Sorry to hear you have lost so many so soon. They may be back. Usually a guinea you raise will not take off but sometimes do. I keep about 20 extra keets each year to free range and do loose some. I had a bad dog come and take out 9 so my free range flock is down to 20. My breeders are in large pens but they are with turkeys so I guess the turkeys keep them in line.

 

[72elizabeth]

Sunny D, Hope this helps. I had the same problem. I have 10 guineas in an open coop. they share it with 9 ducks. I live in Fl., and it would be to hot for a house. The guineas had a 10x8x6ft high. area and the ducks had 12x8x6ft high. My pen is 20ft long, 8ft wide and 6ft tall. My guinea are 20wks old now. I put them in their pen when they where 7wks old. There're all from the same batch, and were raised in the house. They started picking on this one bird. Everyone calls it a low bird, but this bird is healthy and looks no different from the others. Some people said the group would kill it and others said to try and separate them. Thank God I'm a handy little devil, (I built the pen by myself, not bad for 70yrs young). So, out came the tools and left over material. I built a partition, taking 4ft from the ducks, (they didn't protest), giving the low bird 4x8x6ft tall. Put in a roost for her, and yes it's a female. My guineas go in at night and are let out at 8:00am and left to roam all day until about 7:30 or when it starts getting dark. It's working out great! The group goes in and I lock their door. Then the low bird, who now has a buddy, looks inside the pen, checks it out and goes in. I put some food and water in for all of them, they go up on the roost and then I get the ducks in." They can still see each other through the chicken wire. That's the only thing that has chicken wire, the rest is hard cloth,1"x1". On the guinea fowl internation website they had some great idea. Not only separate, but to put out extra feeding dishes and waterers, at least 10ft. away from each other. In the morning I let the ducks out, then the group and then the low bird and her buddy. They haven't pecked her, (she runs fast), but they allow her to stay 5 to 10 ft away. Sometimes they even let her in the goup, it's interesting to watch. It's getting better, try and protect the low bird as best you can, that's all you can do. But do try. Before I built the partition, they got so bad, I had to put the garden hose on them, it was terrible. I don't have battles like that anymore. I hope this helps you.
Just read your last post. Sorry about the birds, it can be heart breaking, sooooo sorry.

 

[PattySh]

I wish I had read this before I bought my guineas a few weeks ago. I went to a bird swap and bought 3 from the same hatch (I think 2 Male I female) and one same same size female that the man said was a single hatchling. I'd say they are 3/4 grown. Put them in my chicken coop with attached run and 2 days later the single one was dead all bloodied. I thought the roosters got it until I see t hat the other guineas are bold and go right up to the roosters and are all doing just fine! I am pretty sure they killed it. Plan to switch the quineas into our main big barn for fly control this spring summer and possibly to hatch a clutch of eggs. I have a chance to get some more guineas from a friend (young ones that I will have to keep seperate for awhile). I am now thinking that maybe the originals will not accept the other ones and I shouldn't do it. I was hoping to have alot of insect control this spring

. Advice?

 

[robin416]

You can introduce new birds to an existing flock. But it takes time and diligent watching. I introduce newbies to my flock by making sure they are seen easily by the others. I have an eight be eight foot wire enclosed room in my Guinea coop. New birds go in there and are kept there until I feel its safe to allow interaction.

FYI, Guineas will do nothing for your fly problems. Get some fly predators they are much more efficient at keeping flies down.

 

[silkiecuddles]

Guineas will kill other guineas because I have seen it happen. Usuall not from the same hatch but when introducing new guineas. Are you not able to free range them? Guineas don't do as well in a coop, they need to be out if they can. I coop some when they are laynig so I don't get mixed eggs or play the "where the heck are the eggs" game. Other than that, they are free.

I have one male guinea. His lady friends died a couple years ago. He lives in the chicken coop with my chickens, but they free-range during the day.
My neighbor's guineas come down each morning and evening (for leftover chicken feed that they can find) and they pick on him. The last few days he has been walking funny. He walks/limps, then lays down. Walks/limps, then lays down. And he's terrified of the neighbor guineas.
Yesterday I noticed that his white head was lichen-colored green on the sides of his face. Is it gangrene? What would be the best thing to do?

 

[Doohinkey]

My guineas were all hatched together and raised together in my chicken coop, which is enormous, chain-linked with a netting over the top to keep hawks and such out. They're 4 years old and just killed one of their siblings. I don't understand it, they've gotten along all these years and I didn't see them picking on my lavender at all, just found her dead, with her neck plucked clean and bloody. Why would they suddenly do this? I know it was the other guinea, because my chickens are all very mellow and don't get with the guineas except to eat and scratch.

 

[R2elk]

My guineas were all hatched together and raised together in my chicken coop, which is enormous, chain-linked with a netting over the top to keep hawks and such out. They're 4 years old and just killed one of their siblings. I don't understand it, they've gotten along all these years and I didn't see them picking on my lavender at all, just found her dead, with her neck plucked clean and bloody. Why would they suddenly do this? I know it was the other guinea, because my chickens are all very mellow and don't get with the guineas except to eat and scratch.

It is possible that you had a predator get in there. A weasel can easily go through a chain link fence. You description of the wound fits a weasel attack.

Guineas can pick on and ostracize certain flock members and in rare cases, actually kill a member. In those cases, there is often something wrong with the attacked guinea.