Chocolates

[PeepsCA]

Peeps, you have super guinea hero x-ray vision because I looked at the pictures of my White over and over and I didn't see any pearling. Can you shoot and swing from webs too? LOL. However, I did go out to the pen and sit to watch the white guinea, and saw the pearling right away. It's faint, but there, and mostly on his flanks. So, with that knowledge, what would you guess the little guy is?

We've had about a week of dark skies and on an off rain, and the pens have been soggy, so I haven't gotten additional pictures. I know it will help ID so I WILL DO THAT. I promise. Today is sunny with a blue sky, and I'm not working much and definitely ignoring the dishes.

LOL, no x-ray vision here, I just have an eye like a hawk when it comes to seeing the pearling, I guess because I have hatched and raised so many Guineas. Like I said tho, at that young of an age, the young partially pearled birds have a lot more pearling (besides all their flank pearling) than they will when they feather out into adult feathers, so I'm not sure if I am seeing a fully pearled bird, or a partially pearled bird in your pics. See how your Buff and Chocolates all have some pearling/markings on their back areas and upper wing areas? From the pics I can't tell if that's what I'm seeing on your "white" bird, or if I am seeing faint full pearling all over the bird.

So as for color... I'm still leaving it at my 4 previous guesses, lol: Either Porcelain or really light Buff Dundotte if it's fully pearled, or either Opaline or a really light Buff if it's partially pearled. All I know for sure is that it's not a White Guinea. Altho, there is a BYC member (Zaz) that used to post a lot on here that has hatched pure white birds that are fully pearled, but it's not a common color. Not an impossible color, just not common. She calls hers "Pearlie Whites" I think.

Hopefully you'll be able to get more pics for your bird in question. Catch the bird and get a helper to hold it down so you can zoom in on the back and wings maybe, (yah I know, wish in one hand, sh**... etc), lol. If you do catch the bird, get a good look at the color of the feather shafts under the wing, that may help me figure out if you have a tan gened bird or a blue gened bird.

I sure hope it turns out to be a male tho... cuz the Pearl Grey will dominate your ALL of your hatches, and cover up all those pretty Chocolate genes, lol.

(Sorry I am biased!). Either way, whatever that "white" bird turns out to be I'd consider it a nice addition to your flock!


ETA: I opened your pics in separate tabs and looked at them full size originally after seeing the pearling that I thought I was seeing... and yah, pearling is there (flanks, wings, back) for sure, lol.

 

[guineaguy]

I got four that were all nest mates at a swap meet thinking buff dundottes. Then one feathered into the cinnamon one stayed buff dundotte the other two changed from buff to this buff/ blue color and they are only have partial pearling like a rp Ralph said opaline but by color description there suppose to be white/blue not cream/blue all I know is when they were small they were all buffs didn't really pay attention when I first got them if full pearl a or partial pearl

 

[guineaguy]

Really just wanted scorpion control lol. Then I got hooked on wanting the harder to find colors. Not really interested in pearls or lavenders so I'm thinking the cinnamons and the buff dunndotes and the opaline should be sold so I have less chance if them. Just be hard they started all this craziness. Lol

 

[guineaguy]

this is pic when I first got them

 

[guineaguy]

 

[JLeigh]

PeepsCA wrote: "I sure hope it turns out to be a male tho... cuz the Pearl Grey will dominate your ALL of your hatches, and cover up all those pretty Chocolate genes, lol.

(Sorry I am biased!). Either way, whatever that "white" bird turns out to be I'd consider it a nice addition to your flock!"

I agree with that. I believe it IS a male, which means that if he will breed with the others and NOT produce guaranteed pieds like Whites will, then this "W" guy wins the hen lottery and the Pearl Gray will be re-homed. Since I only have six guineas, two males might be problematic and create problems in the pen/coop - - too small a space for the boys to have to fight about things, you know? But I'm going to wait to see what happens before making that decision.

For argument, let's say this "W" is a Opaline. Will that light color automatically breed pieds or is it just the White that guarantees pieds - - or am I totally confused? What I want is a few Chocolates, a few Buffs, and a few "W"s (whatever the W turns out to be). Does that make sense?

I certainly won't be the first time today, tomorrow.......

 

[guineaguy]

Peeps will confirm but your white is a porcelain which means he carries the blue and brown gene which means you can get all the colors of your hens and othe colors like lavender coral blue buff dundotte cinnamon browns royal purples. Same boat I'm in with my opaline male. Opaline and porcelain are the same except for the semi pearled opaline and a fully pearled porcelain.

 

[guineaguy]

You will get no pieds from porcelain.

 

[PeepsCA]

Really just wanted scorpion control lol. Then I got hooked on wanting the harder to find colors. Not really interested in pearls or lavenders so I'm thinking the cinnamons and the buff dunndotes and the opaline should be sold so I have less chance if them. Just be hard they started all this craziness. Lol

Hard to tell the color of your partially pearled bird up front, but the one on the right looks like my Lite Blue males, same with the guy on the perch by himself... (they also carry both tan and blue genes). The cream coloring can be from diet, sun fade, dirt stains or it could be genetic... hard or even next to impossible to pin it down. I'd keep both birds and breed them with Blondes, Chocolates or any other partially pearled colors and see what they produce

It's always better to have any extra male or 2 that have potential, rather than being one or 2 males short IMO!

My start with Guineas is similar to yours... I originally got them for snake and spider control (which they took care of)... but then eventually I wanted more color variety. That's when it got out of hand and has stayed that way ever since, lol

 

[PeepsCA]

PeepsCA wrote: "I sure hope it turns out to be a male tho... cuz the Pearl Grey will dominate your ALL of your hatches, and cover up all those pretty Chocolate genes, lol.

(Sorry I am biased!). Either way, whatever that "white" bird turns out to be I'd consider it a nice addition to your flock!"

I agree with that. I believe it IS a male, which means that if he will breed with the others and NOT produce guaranteed pieds like Whites will, then this "W" guy wins the hen lottery and the Pearl Gray will be re-homed. Since I only have six guineas, two males might be problematic and create problems in the pen/coop - - too small a space for the boys to have to fight about things, you know? But I'm going to wait to see what happens before making that decision.

For argument, let's say this "W" is a Opaline. Will that light color automatically breed pieds or is it just the White that guarantees pieds - - or am I totally confused? What I want is a few Chocolates, a few Buffs, and a few "W"s (whatever the W turns out to be). Does that make sense?

I certainly won't be the first time today, tomorrow.......

"W" would have to be either pure White or a Pied (of any color) to produce Pied keets. A light/white looking color bird (be it pearled, partially pearled or non- pearled) can't produce Pied keets... only pure White or Pied birds can produce Pied keets (and the % of Pied keets in each hatch will depend on several factors). So as guineaguy has already stated, you will not hatch any Pieds from "W" breeding your Hens.

I'm still leaning towards "W" being a fully pearled bird (Porcelain, just like guineaguy also stated), so you more than likely will not hatch the Chocolates or Buffs you want, but will probably hatch Browns and Buff Dundottes instead (some Buffs and Chocolates may still show up, but that's depending on if he's carrying the partially pearled gene or not, or if he is in fact an Opaline).

I'd 86 the PG if it's a male too, tho they are popular with a lot of people. Keeping just 1 male will keep the peace in the coop/pen much better than keeping 2, but there's a chance that the lone male may choose to not breed all of the Hens (he should tho).

Hope I have not confused you even more...