Breeding sex-linked guineas

[nissa_loves_cats]

I just got the book "guineafowl past and present" and read about sex-linked guineas. It's said they use a 'very dark male similar to Royal Purple and a light buff/yellow spotted female'.... Has anyone tried to breed their own sex-linked guineas? It might be fun to try it!

 

[Friend2Fowl]

Buffs and buff dundottes are naturally sex-linked to an extent. The females are darker than the males when they hatch. I haven't heard any other information on sex-linked guineas, though I would think it would be difficult. I would imagine both parents would need to be pure for their colors, which is hard to find in the guinea world.

 

[nissa_loves_cats]

I had heard that buff and buff dundotte guineas were 'nearly' autosexing, but I didn't know they could be told apart as keets, I thought it was only when they had their adult feathers. I was just afraid that the difference would be too subtle for me! But the advantage would be as an autosexing color that it would breed true over the generations.

A sex-link color cross--- as in chickens or ducks--- I think depends on some color characteristic that is on the sex chromosome and that only females inherit from their dads. I'm not sure about much with guinea genetics--- I tried 'sex link guineas' on Ask.com and came up with hatcheries that sold sex-link chickens and regular guineas, plus a lot of vile stuff due to the word 'sex' being in the search.

I think if I were to try the experiment I would get Royal Purple or Violet from a hatchery that breeds the colors separate, like McMurray, and Buff Dundotte.

Of course the sex-link crosses only work in that first generation, but it might be handy, when selling guineas at a fur and feather swap, to have some, even at a young age, where you can be sure of the sex! Besides, might be fun to try.