Guinea Hybrid.. Or just a weird looking chick?

[Pugsabi]

I've never actually looked at a male guinea penis but they do have one.

Man, I really hope no one looks at my search history right now!

 

[redranger209]

If the chick in question came from a chicken egg then that settles it in my mind. I have to admit that the face markings are unusual tho.

What about the 28 day incubation?

 

[Kessel23]

It is more than just the markings, the beak, the feet, the face, and the stance are all off for a chick. It is either a pretty deformed chick or a cross. I remember reading that a male guinea to a female chicken is extremely uncommon when compared to a female guinea to male chicken cross. Also, how long did this guy take to hatch? I read that it can vary for a cross but the length will tell you more about the health of the bird. If it was closer to Guinea hen incubation time then it will grow up to be healthy and could live 3+ years. If it had an incubation time closer to a chicken then it has a pretty high chance of not making it to adulthood but still could. If it is a deformed chick then who knows what will happen.

 

[MillersFarm]

It is more than just the markings, the beak, the feet, the face, and the stance are all off for a chick. It is either a pretty deformed chick or a cross. I remember reading that a male guinea to a female chicken is extremely uncommon when compared to a female guinea to male chicken cross. Also, how long did this guy take to hatch? I read that it can vary for a cross but the length will tell you more about the health of the bird. If it was closer to Guinea hen incubation time then it will grow up to be healthy and could live 3+ years. If it had an incubation time closer to a chicken then it has a pretty high chance of not making it to adulthood but still could. If it is a deformed chick then who knows what will happen.

It hatched on day 27 in the morning, I set the eggs pretty late tho at around 10 Pm so closer to day 26.. I'll just have to see how this lil' guy grows. If it's a chicken it's a chicken, If it's a Hybrid then well.. Cool~

 

[Zinjifrah]

Interesting! For those interested, this is the best article I've found on the subject of Guinea genitals so far;

Edit - it's not working. Here's a summary, at least. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25595479

Anyway, turns out male AND female Guinea Fowl have a rudimentary penis. They can be vent sexed by it, but it takes someone who knows what they're doing - just like with a chicken. Nothing at all like the 'equipment' a waterfowl has.

 

[Kessel23]

Well that is good, if it is a hybrid then it has a good chance of living long, well long for a hybrid. The hatch time is also off for a chicken and is another thing that points towards this guy being a Guinea chicken cross. I can't wait for it to start feathering in

 

[Zinjifrah]

Functionally, I can see no reason why a male guinea would be unable to breed a female chicken, if a female guinea could be bred by a male chicken. The phallus is vestigial, rather than functional, and... well, as many humans have learned to their dismay; a close miss can still hit the mark, as it were.

 

[aart]

well, as many humans have learned to their dismay; a close miss can still hit the mark, as it were.

 

[red horse ranch]

26 to 27 days is a long time for a chicken egg. Hmm....

 

[aart]

Interesting! For those interested, this is the best article I've found on the subject of Guinea genitals so far;

Edit - it's not working. Here's a summary, at least. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25595479

Anyway, turns out male AND female Guinea Fowl have a rudimentary penis. They can be vent sexed by it, but it takes someone who knows what they're doing - just like with a chicken. Nothing at all like the 'equipment' a waterfowl has.

Thank you for running this down!