Parts Of A Female Guinea Fowl
This photograph shows the different parts of a female guinea fowl’s body. Click on the photograph to enlarge.
Helmet/Casque - The helmeted guinea fowl has a pointed crown on the top of her head which is often called the casque.
Eyes - Guinea fowl have two eyes, one at each side of their head and the eyes should be dark and prominent.
Ear Lobes - Guinea fowl have two ear lobes, one on each side of their head and they are generally white in colour on this variety of guinea fowl.
Beak - Guinea fowl have an upper and lower beak. The upper beak is usually a light red colour fading to a yellowy tip.
Wattles - Guinea fowl have two wattles which hang below the beak. The female guinea fowl generally have smaller wattles. Wattles are fleshy skin and on this variety of guinea fowl they are red with white markings in the middle of the flesh.
Breast - The breast is at the front of the bird and should be broad and plump.
Wings - Guinea fowl have a set of wing feathers on each side of their body which allow them to fly.
Tail Feathers - The guinea fowl has short tail feathers that are the same colour as the rest of the plumage.
Vent - The vent is the external opening referred to as the anus or cloaca. This is the opening which allows the birds to excrete and for the females to lay their eggs.
Hock - The hock is the leg joint which bends in the opposite direction to a human knee.
Shank - The shank is the bird’s lower leg. Guinea fowl have two legs which have a scale like appearance and are a light pink colouring.
Toes - All guinea fowl have four toes on each foot. Three of their toes point forward and one faces back to provide balance. Their toes should be light pink colouring.
How can you tell the difference between males & females?
thanks
Will
Comment by Will — March 17, 2007 @ 9:45 pm
Hi Will,
Thanks for this really important guinea fowl question. It is very difficult to tell the difference between a male and female guinea fowl. The females generally have smaller wattles, appear to be smaller as the males will stand up tall, and the females have a two syllable call that the males do not make. For more information about the differences between the male and female guinea fowl, then click on this link to read the article entitled Guinea Fowl Gender Identification.
Hope that helps.
Sara @ Farming Friends
Comment by Sara @ Farming Friends — March 20, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
does anyone know if guinea fowls beaks can grow too long thus affecting feeding. one of ours looks mangy and has been dewormed, but its beak looks very long and curved - awfully difficult to catch her, any help would be much appreciated. buff
Comment by buff housman — June 28, 2008 @ 10:30 am
Hi Buff,
Thanks for this question. I haven’t seen a longer beak in a guinea fowl but I have done in quail. In Michael Roberts book entitled “Quail, Past And Present” he says for quail that “because they are in unnatural surroundings the beak and toe nails can grow very long, but can be trimmed with nail clippers.” I don’t know whether this is the same for guinea fowl but it could be. Obviously guinea fowl are alot bigger than quail so catching them and trimming their beak will not be as easy.
You may want to catch your guinea fowl in a cat basket or similar box. You may also want to try to establish a relationship with the guinea fowl before you decide to trim the beak so that the guinea fowl trusts you and won’t struggle so much.
If feeding is difficult I would suggest giving the guinea fowl chopped lettuce, yoghurt, mashed up hard boiled eggs and mashed up layers pellets so that they are easier for the guinea fowl to digest.
Hope this information is useful.
Let me know how you get on.
Sara @ farmingfrineds
Comment by Sara @ Farming Friends — June 29, 2008 @ 12:15 pm