Mean Guineas

Our 10 guineas are 1 month younger than the chickens, so they were raised together. The chickens are 5 months old and the quineas are 4 months. The chickens are Araucaunas, so they are not small birds, but the guineas attack the chickens. They tear out their tail and back feathers. The chickens have become so afraid of them that they hide in the woods to get away from them. Anyone know what to do about this problem, before I make some fried guinea with gravy? I just had to include a picture of Rosie.

if my guienas were mean to my chickens [we are getting some next week], i would lock them up for six weeks. then reintroduce them. do you have both male and female guineas? a balance there would help too, so there isn't agression due to lack of mates...

guiena is a great delicatessan though...

Yes TamaraFaye, we have both male and female. I dont have the area to lock up the guineas separately. Why would that help? I've been told that quinea meat is quite tasty.

similar to quail or pheasant...

i belong to a guinea group, and whenver there is misbehavior, they put them in "lockdown" for six weeks to re-imprint them. i thought it might help break the habit of attacking your chickens... then you could get them in a good ropuine of turning out and coming in, and maybe they wouldn't pay as much attention to the chickens...?

you could ask someone at the guinea fowl forum... do a search and it should come up. been so long since i have been there [lost my guineas in the spring] that i don't recall how to get there LOL