Shop the Meyer Hatchery website for day-old guinea keets or guinea hatching eggs.
Physical Characteristics
Determining gender in adult guinea fowl is not easy. The helmet and wattles are the easiest to observe from a distance for differences. Wattles are the two fleshy skin tags that hang down from the bird's face. In adult males, the wattles can cup forward and upward. In adult female guinea fowl, the wattles tend to be flatter.
The helmet is a horn-like structure that sticks out on the top of a guinea's head. In males, the helmet is bigger than in females.
Their Sounds
Male adult guinea fowl tend to only make a one-syllable sound that is a "check" or “chi chi chi” noise. Females tend to make a two-syllable call that can sound like they are saying "buckwheat" or "okay". The females, however, can also make the one-syllable call like the males!
Behavior
Males may carry themselves with a more upright and alert stance. Males also show more aggression towards other male guineas or roosters. You may see them chase and pull tail feathers from their opponent. These behavioral differences are much more apparent in spring during their mating season. You will also notice your guineas tend to pair off during this time, whereas the rest of the season they will stay together as a single flock. Oftentimes, a female will sit on a nest while her male mate will stand guard nearby.
Sexing Guinea Keets
Unlike other poultry types, vent sexing is not a reliable method to sex day-old keets. For this reason, day-old guineas are only sold as straight run.
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