[roddycm]

I have had guinea fowl off and on for years, I hand raise them and then let them free range so that they are nice and quiet. The latest batch were reared with my Modern Game and Wyandotte bantams, they were all great friends until recently! They are all pretty much grown up now, the cocks are crowing and the guineas are excitedly shrieking their heads off!

All my chickens free range during the day and are shut up at night, the guineas choose to roost up in the trees... everyone was very happy until two days ago when the guinea fowl killed a wyandotte cock! And today they attacked a Modern Game pullet, thankfully I was able to rescue her!

In all my years of having fowl (about 30 years!) I have never come across this problem... I am going to eat all but two of the guineas and see if a reduction in numbers helps.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue before? They have so much room to roam, feeders spaced out around the place so there is no competition for any resources. They just seem to be a particularly oikish mob!

Thoughts?

[Marches Farmer]

We've raised guineas in a similar way to you and never had this problem.  It may be down to the dominant male being of a similar temperament to the occasional cockerel you get that will attack anything that goes near it, particularly as we're approaching the peak reproduction time of year.  Can you identify the dominant one and separate him out?

[roddycm]

Hello!

Yes I think you are right! I have kept the quietest male and the most aggressive or dominant is now hanging waiting to be plucked and eaten haha! Its a shame as he was a real beauty of a bird but I can't have him killing my bantams... I put a lot of work into the wyandottes especially! Takes a lot of effort to get the breeding right on the silver laced (they are my all time favourite!)

I have now just left a breeding pair of guineas all the surplus males, including the ring leader are going to be popped in the freezer later today!