No hanky panky needs to go on for a good preening to be appreciated. Many species of mammal and bird will trade groomings of areas that are out of reach.

It is similar to when you pet your dog, or when a friend rubs your shoulder a little.

I have seen my male guineas preen each other, especially on their neck and the back of their heads. My guineas roost in the barn and don't interact with my chickens. Your guineas roost together with your chickens, so it is nice to see they get along so well and enjoy a good preening together. I have heard that guineas can be bullies with other birds.

I have personaly witnessed guineas and chickens interbreed and produce hybrid offspring, though the offspring are apparently like mules and are sterile.
josh

Do any of you eat guinea eggs? I had very bad luck with a batch of guineas last spring and am not sure I want to handle them again. It was largely (all) my fault but the ones to survive promptly ran off although they grew from chicks here and were contained for weeks.

The weather has been horrid here as well and my chickens are enjoying the outside after being cooped up for weeks. Lori

We have eaten our guinea eggs for years. They taste like a chicken egg only smaller and with a harder shell. The only problem I have here is the magpies steal them out of the nests in the barn as fast as they lay them :-(

Where did your guineas roost at night? You said they all ran off so I wondered where their established roost was. I trained mine (by locking them in) to roost in the barn. If they were to roost in trees I'm sure they would all disappear one by one to the predators we have around here. The book - "Gardening with Guineas" - is a good book to have if you want to keep guineas around. Guineas may take some work to get them established, but I think they are great birds to have on a farm. I love to watch them and they always make me laugh at how funny they look when they come running.