Determining the sex of a guinea fowl is important, especially if you are raising guinea fowls for meat and eggs or simply as pets. In fact, the cultivation of guinea fowl is gradually gaining popularity.
Most people keep guinea fowl primarily for their tender, flavorful meat and eggs. Along with this, guinea fowls are also great for protecting your property from predators and serving as a natural pest control.
Besides, determining the sex of a guinea fowl is important whether you have several or several guinea fowls. Although determining the sex of a guinea fowl takes a lot of experience and patience.
Guinea fowl sexing guide
There are many different methods to determine the sex of a guinea fowl. Some common methods to identify male and female guinea fowls are observation of venting, sound, body appearance, etc. We will detail all these methods here.
Physical differences
When determining the sex of a guinea fowl, it is impractical to rely on visual differences. Because in most cases male and female guinea fowl are very similar.
In particular, whales have no physical difference. The most notable physical differences between male and female guinea fowls are their wattles and helmet.
To watch the birds
Male and female guinea fowls are very similar. But looking at their wattles can be a great way to determine a guinea fowl’s gender.
The earrings are actually pieces of skin hanging from the bird’s head or neck. Adult male guinea fowls have large, elongated warts that curve upward toward the upper jaw.
In contrast, a female guinea fowl’s beard will look rather flat. And the size of the earrings in female guinea fowls is much smaller than in males.
Respect the size of the helmet
The guinea fowl’s helmet or helmet is actually a protruding horn-like structure on top of its head.
The helmet of the female guinea fowl is much smaller than that of the male.
Sometimes the helmet can look very similar in male and female guinea fowls. But in most cases, females have a short, narrow helmet.
ventilation method
The vent method for determining the sex of a guinea fowl is also a good way. Here we describe this system in detail.
First, turn the guinea fowl over with one hand. Then push the tail towards the head and expose the vent.
The cloaca is actually a round opening through which reproductive, urinary, and digestive fluids exit the bird’s body. With your other hand, place your index finger and thumb on either side of the vent.
Gently separate these fingers to stretch and push the cloaca (press gently but firmly to expose the cloaca). And then examine the bird’s phallus.
The phallus of a male guinea fowl is usually longer and thicker than that of a female. The phallus will become more visible and distinguishable in birds around 8 weeks old.
Listen to sound
The sex of guinea fowls can be determined by their vocalizations, but you have to wait until the birds are old enough.
Usually, guinea fowls do not start singing until they are 8 weeks old. Thus, this method is not suitable for determining the sex of whales.
Usually, male guinea fowls emit a monosyllabic call that sounds like a “check”. Some consider this noise as the sound of a machine gun. Either way, the vocalization of the male guinea fowl will either be a chirp or a cry repeated at different intervals.
Female guinea fowls also make the same monosyllabic “check” sound as males. Sometimes females may issue a two-syllable call, which may sound like different words.
Usually, the first syllable of a female guinea fowl’s call is short, and the second syllable is longer and rises in pitch.
Watch their behavior
Observing guinea fowl behavior is another good way to determine guinea fowl sex. Sometimes the behavior of the birds gives clues.
Male guinea fowls are generally more protective than females (especially during breeding season). Sometimes you will see males fighting or chasing each other for dominance.
These are common methods for determining the sex of a guinea fowl. Follow these methods to identify male and female guinea fowl in your flock. Good luck!
video
