Can you have too many male guinea fowl?

[MsMcClucky]

I had 5 guineas raised together for a year- maybe all males-or 1 female. 2 days ago I found 1 dead in the coop. Yesterday I saw a guinea almost kill another guinea so now I know the culprit. I separated the target, but he and the others keep trying to get to each other. They usually free range all day. I don't want to have to keep the one guinea separate, but I don't want him killed either.

 

[mdguffey]

everybody says not to but I let my guineas incubate their eggs and the dads are awesome, (I keep my penned up during incubation time) they help the moms with all aspects of baby care. I usually have about a 75 to 85% hatch rate with very little baby problems.

 

[Newquineamom]

I have 7 guinea keets I got when they were 3days old. Now they are 3 1/2 months old. Now i think i have 5 males and two females. I have older guineas and one Male in that group and 3 females.I want to introduce them to the other older ones. What is the best way to do it. And should I be concerned about having that many males.
The younger ones were raised with 4 layer hens and two turkeys. The Guineas lay on the turkeys back. So right now the younger guineas are in a coop with the hens, Turkeys. I would like someone advice please.

 

[R2elk]

I have 7 guinea keets I got when they were 3days old. Now they are 3 1/2 months old. Now i think i have 5 males and two females. I have older guineas and one Male in that group and 3 females.I want to introduce them to the other older ones. What is the best way to do it. And should I be concerned about having that many males.
The younger ones were raised with 4 layer hens and two turkeys. The Guineas lay on the turkeys back. So right now the younger guineas are in a coop with the hens, Turkeys. I would like someone advice please.

Put the younger guineas where they can be seen by the older guineas. Ideally they will be separated by wire fencing or a cage. Once the adults stop trying to fight/attack the younger ones through the wire, you can start letting them get together. I recommend letting one out at a time to join the adults so the one let loose has an incentive to return to the ones that are still caged. When I do it, I normally let one out a day until they have all been let loose.

Be sure to provide hiding places in case the younger ones need somewhere to escape the adults.

Your total will be 6 males and 5 hens which is not ideal but should be okay. I try to have one or two more hens than males because some males are not satisfied with just one hen.

Good luck.

 

[FunnyfarmLVT1978]

I AM NEW TO RAISING GUINEAS, I HAVE RECENTLY ACQUIRED 5 MALES AND ONE FEMALE AND I AM NOW INCUBATING SOME OF THE EGGS AND THUS FAR HAVE 9 LITTLE ONES, HOW LONG SHOULD I KEEP THESE SEPARATE FROM THE OLDER GUINEAS AND HOW DO I INTRODUCE THE NEW ONES INTO THE OLDER FLOCK?

I have attempted to raise guineas multiple times and they always ran off until now so I figured I'd share my experience and hope it helps. I had a broody chicken who I didn't want to hatch eggs so one night I switched out her 5 eggs for 5 guinea chicks and she raised them as her own now they are just over a year and never leave the property though they have recently figured out how to get on the roof I tend to let my hens raise any chicks I get (just easier for me) but I have a brooder on standby just incase I don't have a hen who will take them or she gives up on the other eggs after a couple hatch. This way when I introduce them to the flock I have a protective momma to watch out for them and run off any bullys. Also not sure but if they are like chickens I always recommend adding new birds at night when everyone is asleep. They just wake up and don't ever question the newcomer lol Hope this helps!

 

[FunnyfarmLVT1978]

I have attempted to raise guineas multiple times and they always ran off until now so I figured I'd share my experience and hope it helps. I had a broody chicken who I didn't want to hatch eggs so one night I switched out her 5 eggs for 5 guinea chicks and she raised them as her own now they are just over a year and never leave the property though they have recently figured out how to get on the roof I tend to let my hens raise any chicks I get (just easier for me) but I have a brooder on standby just incase I don't have a hen who will take them or she gives up on the other eggs after a couple hatch. This way when I introduce them to the flock I have a protective momma to watch out for them and run off any bullys. Also not sure but if they are like chickens I always recommend adding new birds at night when everyone is asleep. They just wake up and don't ever question the newcomer lol Hope this helps!

And I just realized this is a very old post but hopefully this will help anyone else who comes to this feed looking for answers .. lol

 

[R2elk]

I have attempted to raise guineas multiple times and they always ran off until now so I figured I'd share my experience and hope it helps. I had a broody chicken who I didn't want to hatch eggs so one night I switched out her 5 eggs for 5 guinea chicks and she raised them as her own now they are just over a year and never leave the property though they have recently figured out how to get on the roof I tend to let my hens raise any chicks I get (just easier for me) but I have a brooder on standby just incase I don't have a hen who will take them or she gives up on the other eggs after a couple hatch. This way when I introduce them to the flock I have a protective momma to watch out for them and run off any bullys. Also not sure but if they are like chickens I always recommend adding new birds at night when everyone is asleep. They just wake up and don't ever question the newcomer lol Hope this helps!

Guineas are not like chickens. Adding new members at night is very bad with guineas. They are a flock bird and they know their members well. They will immediately notice a new member and the normal result is to attack the new bird.

Your keets raised by a chicken are still too young for you to experience the havoc that happens during the first breeding season for keets that have been imprinted by chickens and have lost the ability to understand that chickens are not guineas. The chickens do not respond well to the racing, chasing, attacks from behind along with the feather pulling and breaking.

 

[Marci2016]

Guineas are not like chickens. Adding new members at night is very bad with guineas. They are a flock bird and they know their members well. They will immediately notice a new member and the normal result is to attack the new bird.

Your keets raised by a chicken are still too young for you to experience the havoc that happens during the first breeding season for keets that have been imprinted by chickens and have lost the ability to understand that chickens are not guineas. The chickens do not respond well to the racing, chasing, attacks from behind along with the feather pulling and breaking.