My daddy guinea killed the 5 baby guineas

[L Marshall]

We have a male and female guinea in a pen. The female guinea has been sitting on her eggs and I thought we had babies but I let them be. Today the female and male had a fight. I was working in the yard and heard them, I seen her go back into her house with the nest and he went on top. I assumed all was well, when I went to check on them an hour later, I seen dead babies all over. There were 5 dead in all, each one had its head and neck pecked. I was so upset. Does anyone know if this is normal for male guineas? Do I need to separate them?

 

[sourland]

Guinea fowl sometimes get strange ideas in their heads. If you want to save any from this setting, take him out of the pen immediately. Hopefully some of the eggs are yet to hatch.

 

[PeepsCA]

Even tho you only have a pair of Guineas, he may have seen the keets as a threat to his flock, or his place in the pecking order (even tho there are no other Guineas in with them). I agree with sourland, remove him from the pen ASAP if there are more eggs left to hatch, or any live keets left under the Momma Hen because he may kill those as well.

If the hatch is over and you let them stay in the pen together, he may do the same thing again next time they breed and the Hen lays more eggs this season (or next season), so I'd keep track of the days she is on her eggs and remove him from the pen before the eggs are due to hatch... and then keep the Hen and keets contained until the keets are old enough to dodge his blows.

If he does it again or remains aggressive to the keets, I'd re-home him (like to the freezer or crock-pot). Sometimes certain Guinea behaviors cannot be changed.

 

[that_crazy_lady]

Oh that's sad.
The first time I had guineas my birds where free range and the cock was just as protective over the keets as the hen. After a few days something killed the hen, we gathered up the keets that were left and put them in a coop. The cock would then sleep on the ground next to the coop for the next month or so...those babies were the only other guineas around and he knew he belonged with them.
I have guineas again now, 21 young ones and I plan to keep at least a few pairs penned up for breeding and after reading this I'll be keeping a close eye on then when hatching time comes next year.

Sorry it's on an unhappy note but

 

[L Marshall]

We put the male out of the pen and the female hatched one more keet. She is very protective of it and only lets me in the pen to feed and water. The male is having a fit running around the pen, but mommy and baby are doing good so far.

 

[critters]

glad you put the male out of the pen.....but even
happier that you have another keet . Congrats on the keet!... .