Let's talk about sex.

Guinea fowl are a bird that is difficult to sex. 

This means it is difficult to determine whether one is a male (cock) or female (hen). As keets (babies) it is nigh on impossible to tell. And there are only a few clues as adults. By about eight weeks of age, sometimes you can tell by their helmet and wattle. Sometimes. On the male, both the helmet and wattle are usually larger and a tad more vibrant. I have read in a few places that you can identify by feather growth as a keet, but I have yet to substantiate this. As an adult, it is possible to sex by their vent (where the egg comes out), but the nearly sure-fire way to tell the sex of a guinea, once it gets its "voice" (again, at about eight weeks of age), is by their distinct calls. Although the female can imitate the male on occasion, her call is distinct. Some folks say it sounds like "buck-wheat" or "per-quack." That is all in the ear of the listener. But I like to go with what my friend's daughter calls it - "pot rack." Listen to the video below and you can decide for yourself what "Virguinea" is saying. But, one thing for sure, she is a she.

I have yet to capture the sound of the male. Stay tuned for that exciting post!