Guinea Fowl Becomes Violent
I was sorry to hear that one of my reader’s guinea fowl, which they keep as a pet, has suddenly turned violent.
Hello
I have a question about my guinea fowl. I don’t know if it is a male or female. I have had it for a year now and it has been a fun family pet. Yesterday it started to violently attack me and it stabbed my leg with its claw and now we can’t go outside without protection. What is wrong with my guinnea? I was told to put it to sleep but we don’t want to do that if we don’t have to. Please get back to me as soon as you can. Thankyou for your time. charity
Hi Charity,
I am sorry to hear that your guinea fowl has suddenly become violent.
There are a number of ways to tell if a guinea fowl is male or female.
Your guinea fowl could be ill as often aggression in animals can be a sign that the animal is in pain, so it may be a good idea to talk to a vet, but the decision is yours.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriendsIf you have experience of guinea fowl showing violent behaviour and can offer advice to Charity, then please leave a comment, thanks.
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Hi:
It’s late February here in NE and last week my female (I think) of one year just went from sweet, inquisitive and social, to Attila the Hun overnight. She is attacking my full size goats constantly and does not appear to be in any pain. She is acting territorial maybe? Prepping for motherhood? Any suggestions? My poor goats are really taking a beating and I can’t seperate them. Thanks
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for visiting farmingfriends and leaving a comment.
I am lucky to say that I have not had experience of a guinea fowl becoming violent with another animal, bird or human.
If your guinea fowl is definately a female then I would imagine that this behaviour is due to her coming into lay and protecting her territory, nest site and eggs. My only experience of guinea fowl becoming slightly aggressive is when I have to get them off the nest so that predators don’t get them. If your gunea fowl is a female then maybe she is attacking the goat as she feels under threst or feels that her eggs/nest will be under threat from the goat.
Have you considered that your guinea fowl maybe ill as sometimes animals can become agreesive for no apparent reason and later it is found out that it is due to an illness.
Males often demonstrate aggressive traits so your guinea fowl could be a male. Does your guinea make the two syllable call (female) that sounds like come back, come back, comeback as well as the one syllable call or just the one syllable call (male) that sounds like ah, ah, ah, ah,ah.
Hope that your goat is ok. Let me know how you get on.
Just to let you know that I recently set up a free forum with a section on guinea fowl. http://farmingfriends.com/forums/forum.php?id=6
kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends
I’m in the US, and I have seen this behavior in my now nearly 9-month-old lead male guinea. It started in the last month, around the time my single female guinea started digging out a nest (I found some eggs in our chicken tractor and hope she keeps laying there).
The female had made a nest in the wild, and when I walked within…I’d say about 40 feet of it, he’d jump at me. Then, this behavior went from this area specifically to anywhere in the yard. I posted on another guinea forum asking if this aggression is tied to mating season and if he’ll go back to Mr. Niceguy after its over, but I received no response for the past 5 days. I’m guessing that maybe no one knows?
I now carry a stick with me and just sort of point it at me when he gets “the look” in his eyes. Seems to work.
We’ll see if he calms back down in the fall. I’m hoping so b/c he’s my favorite of my flock. Stay tuned…
I see where my last post is a bit confusing regarding my female’s nest. Her nest was first in the wild, but I think I may have disturbed its surroundings by going through the thick brush. The male would charge originally only near that nest in the wild. However, she has, as of yesterday, started laying in the chicken tractor in a dug out hole on the ground. Just an fyi
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your comments here. I would say that this behaviour sounds like it is linked to the mating season. I have never experienced this behaviour with my male guinea fowl so I can only guess that this is what it’s linked to.
I tend not to interact with my guinea fowl during the day when it is egg laying time which may be why I haven’t experienced this behaviour. I use a stick to sometimes drive my guinea fowl in the direction I need to go. I never touch the guinea fowl with the stick, only guide them in the direction I want them to go, so I think having a stick as a barrier between you and the aggressive male guinea and a way of warning the guinea fowl is useful.
I hope that your guinea does calm down in the fall. do you have names for your guinea fowl.
As I have mentioned in my other comments to you, I do have a free forum with a section on guinea fowl with guinea fowl enthusiasts from all over the world contributing and sending in photos.
Thanks again for all your contributions to the farmingfriends website.
I look forward to hearing more about your guinea fowl.
kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends