Very unusual chick, Guinea / chicken hybrid!!

[bemba]

Great news! I have a second hybrid hatched and a 3rd on it's way! The second one is a pied!

 

[Tacampbell1973]

I have had guineas and chickens together for years and never bred a hybrid, mind you I didn't hatch every egg laid either. How did they go with the move?

Well couldn't get the keets to stay put in the coop. they got out and roosted on top. Soooo, I put them back in the little barn and took the brooder light from the adults and put it inwith keets. the adults had to make do with a regular 60 watt house bulb for one night. I realize they don't need a light but it makes me feel better knowing they are warm and more importantly safe as the predators are less likely to strike in lit barn. They are all my babies and knock onwood I have yet to lose even one. its going to be crowded come spring when I let some hatch out. I don't think I will be able to part with them . Keep an eye out for me I will probably wind up on that "hoarders" show, just kidding. I hope.,

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Great news! I have a second hybrid hatched and a 3rd on it's way! The second one is a pied!

Good morning Bemba. Congratulations and how beautiful it must be. Please post some more pics......I am anxious to see them.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Yes they are infertile.

Thats too bad. Although that may be the answer to my fear of overpopulation.

 

[Kev]

Great news! I have a second hybrid hatched and a 3rd on it's way! The second one is a pied!

Way cool! NEED pictures of course.


I do have a question- how are you sure the chicks are hybrids? Not making you defensive just questioning.

There's a long thread from days past on Miracle, a hybrid with beard and muffs and the most beautiful feather pattern.

 

[bemba]

Well couldn't get the keets to stay put in the coop. they got out and roosted on top. Soooo, I put them back in the little barn and took the brooder light from the adults and put it inwith keets. the adults had to make do with a regular 60 watt house bulb for one night. I realize they don't need a light but it makes me feel better knowing they are warm and more importantly safe as the predators are less likely to strike in lit barn. They are all my babies and knock onwood I have yet to lose even one. its going to be crowded come spring when I let some hatch out. I don't think I will be able to part with them . Keep an eye out for me I will probably wind up on that "hoarders" show, just kidding. I hope.,

I'm glad it all went fairly smoothly, here we are fairly lucky as their aren't too many nocturnal predators that can climb trees or fly..... only one would be a Powerful Owl but we don't get them around our area. I've seen some predator posts on here ....you have so many over there EEEK!

 

[bemba]

Thats too bad. Although that may be the answer to my fear of overpopulation.

You could still end up with hundreds of hybrids

 

[bemba]

Way cool! NEED pictures of course.


I do have a question- how are you sure the chicks are hybrids? Not making you defensive just questioning.

There's a long thread from days past on Miracle, a hybrid with beard and muffs and the most beautiful feather pattern.

Hi Kev, I've seen a few of your posts and replies! You sound a lot like me with doing things differently!..... I remember seeing the hybrids on feathersite when I was a kid and was always totally amazed by them, I'd kept the 2 species together for years and never had any luck with hybrids despite the fact nearly all my Guineas are chicken raised. Guinea males were always hostile toward chicken hens and my roosters were afraid of guinea hens..... Untill I got myself some young malay! I only own pied guineas also so all my keets hatch the teddybear pattern, they all hatched from guinea eggs, but I'll let the pics to the explaining

 

[bemba]

Here he is No 2, now to think of a name, I really love his markings.

 

[Kev]

Hi Kev, I've seen a few of your posts and replies! You sound a lot like me with doing things differently!..... I remember seeing the hybrids on feathersite when I was a kid and was always totally amazed by them, I'd kept the 2 species together for years and never had any luck with hybrids despite the fact nearly all my Guineas are chicken raised. Guinea males were always hostile toward chicken hens and my roosters were afraid of guinea hens..... Untill I got myself some young malay! I only own pied guineas also so all my keets hatch the teddybear pattern, they all hatched from guinea eggs, but I'll let the pics to the explaining

Haha! Non conformists rule!

I did toss a white guinea in with a black skinned naked neck rooster carrying recessive white.. the idea was to see if the black skin would show in hybrids and also to see if the guinea white and chicken recessive white would interact... But he did not see her as a sexy thing at all, drats!

Never got hybrids despite peafowl, chickens, guineas and various pheasants running together at various times over the years.. always hoped it would happen but alas. The only hybrids I can remember seeing in person were pheasant x chukar.. they looked so odd.. like stretched out chukars with strange colors. That was not planned yet the owner ended up with like 10 of them. Some people have all the luck, ha!

I know it really can happen, just have learned to keep a slight bit of 'hmm.... I wonder' after seeing several cases of alleged hybrids turn out not to be hybrids. So if it were a case of one rooster and guinea hen isolated it'd be pretty good but if from free range and mixed......

btw your pieds are gorgeous! Really like that solid white winged look.