Guineas are picking on my laying hens.

[ziggywiggy]

I am having an unacceptable problem. My Guineas are picking on my laying hens. I really don't want to have to restrict them to a small pen, because all they do is run back and forth trying to get out.
I'm thinking it is just the male causing the proplem( I have two females and one male) but I'm not absolutely sure. I thought about clipping the male's nails and beak. I have to come up with something because if it doesn't stop, they are going in the freezer because the hens help pay a lot of the feed bill and are much more valuable to me than the Guineas. I really enjoy my Guineas and don't understand why within the past few days they have started being mean. Especially since they were raised together.
Any ideas?

 

[Aj1911]

your guineas are growing up and it is normal, depending where you live they could be coming into mating season also so either give them 6months to calm down or put them in they're own pen

and i wouldnt clip they're beaks or nails.

 

[TedsFarms]

agreed. The guineas are growing up. I chose to keep my layers seperate though since my guineas are more for meat then anything else.

 

[ziggywiggy]

Quote:
Ok. I'm going to pen them for a few weeks. They're not going to like it but, it beats the alternative. It's hard to keep them away from my hens because they can fly to where ever my hens are.
I really like the meat too. It's one of my favorites.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I have noticed my Guineas are chasing each other quite a bit. Depending on where you live, your weather and the age of your birds, they may be "feeling their oats". I think your idea of a pen for your Guineas is not all that bad of an idea. Just make sure they have plenty of fresh water and a high protein game bird feed. You may also find out which Guinea is causing the real problem and you can isolate that bird or eat it.

 

[Becky89*]

Guinea hens like being dominate!!! My guinea hens like to pick on my chickens but they know better than to pick on the ducks! Once they get use to each other they seem to settle down and accept their spot in the pecking order!!!

 

[SilverPhoenix]

My guineas are pretty feisty, too, though they don't seem to do much actual damage for the most part. My rooster was beat up once (not badly) and the guinea fowl occasionally chase some of my hens, but other than my newcomers (birds I've gotten in the last six months or less) most of my chickens don't even care. I think the ducks are at the top of the social order for my coop, and then the guinea fowl, and then the chickens, though sometimes my little bantams are feisty right back to the guinea fowl. It seems like the guinea fowl are most likely to chase the birds at the lower end of the pecking order--possibly because those birds will actually run--as opposed to my mature birds who just ignore the guinea fowl or chase them right back regardless of size.

 

[julieschickens]

i raised my guineas in with the chickens and they started the same thing. i took them out of the pen and free ranged them. i will NEVER mix them again. they are mean but i enjoy them now that they are loose. when it comes time for them to start mating and laying i will put them up in a pen alone to get the eggs. it worked great for me this past season and my hens are so much happier without those demons!!!!!!!

 

[Soccer Mom]

I raised mine seperately and have never had an issue. They can mingle when free ranging, but everyone has their territory. The guineas chase each other around. They have their own coops and are fed seperately. Plus my rooster would never tolerate it. He chases the guineas from the chicken run, but for the most part they coexist peaceably.

A pen might be a short term solution. Perhaps a little seperation would be good for them. I was having an issue with the guineas mugging my large livestock for their food (yes, they were bossing around thousand pound animals!) and I had to rearrange the evenging feed order so that the guineas were put up first.

 

[spydertoys]

That is the exact reason why I no longer have Guineas. They kept the hens from the food and pecked a half grown pullet to death.

I don't miss them.