Guinea talk.

[R2elk]

I'm thinking of getting lavender guineas this year but idk if they breed with my pearls if it will come out lavender or pearl. i also heard that they are easily targeted cause their lighter in color

The F1 generation from crossing Lavender with Pearl Gray will produce all Pearl Gray keets unless the Pearl Gray has hidden recessive color genes. In the case of hidden recessive color genes, only a DNA analysis or test breeding will show the results possible.

The F2 generation can be multiple different scenarios depending on which hidden recessive color genes show up.

 

[R2elk]

if they breed you could get a varied coloring either pearl and lavender mixed together so dark and light patches, or just a lighter pearl or darker lavender. As far as getting picked on for coloring they should be fine if they get a cut it's easier to spot on the lighter colors but besides that they should be fine

What is your source for this information? I have not read anything that would lead me to believe that what you are saying occurs. If it did work in this method, I feel very confident that the various known color combinations as shown in the Guinea Fowl International Color Chart would include colors as you describe which they don't.

To the best of my knowledge, Pearl Gray has complete dominance over the recessive blue color gene that causes the Lavender color.

 

[guineapeeps]

I'm thinking of getting lavender guineas this year but idk if they breed with my pearls if it will come out lavender or pearl. i also heard that they are easily targeted cause their lighter in color

For some odd reason, my lighter colored birds, like lavender and buff dundotte, seem to get picked off less than my pearl grays.. You'd think it would be the opposite....maybe it's just my weird situation. When my pearl gray and lavender breed I find that I get some pearl grays and some lavenders. Last year, those two colors produced a few porcelains and one that is almost an opaline color with very faint spots. My buff dundottes and pearl grays together produce a lot of lavenders, so if your wanting a variety of colors, you might consider getting pearl and buff colored guineas. I'm not that knowledgeable about how the whole guinea color genes work, just speaking to what I have found with mine (who may have some hidden color genes).
Also, FYI......you asked about different types of guineas. Most people just have your basic domesticated guinea fowl but GlennLee, who posts on here, has French guineas. You may want to ask her about them.

 

[GlennLee]

Which is the best guinea breed for beginners?

Chicken are separated into breeds, guineas are separated by species. Here are your choices: White-breasted, Black, Plumed, Crested, Vulturine and Helmeted.

Most of us, if not ALL of us, on this thread have Helmeted Guineas - these are the regular domestics that are raised in backyards. They come in a large variety of colors. Helmeted guineas also come in two sizes - the regular domestics and the Jumbo French. The main difference between the two are the size. The Jumbo French are about 1/3 larger than the regular domestics.

My flock has 8 Jumbo French and 4 regular domestic, both are Pearl (coloring). I have only seen Jumbos in the Pearl and recently found a breeder selling Lavender. I raised the Jumbos by hand as mail order keets and then added the regulars after 4 months. These are the differences I've noticed, but it may in part be due to the fact that the Jumbos have always lived here and the regulars were added. My Jumbos are more calm, they are quieter, they tend to stay closer to home and they don't fly as high (due to the extra weight) they basically hop and glide.

Hope that helps a bit.

​

 

[guineapeeps]

For some odd reason, my lighter colored birds, like lavender and buff dundotte, seem to get picked off less than my pearl grays.. You'd think it would be the opposite....maybe it's just my weird situation. When my pearl gray and lavender breed I find that I get some pearl grays and some lavenders. Last year, those two colors produced a few porcelains and one that is almost an opaline color with very faint spots. My buff dundottes and pearl grays together produce a lot of lavenders, so if your wanting a variety of colors, you might consider getting pearl and buff colored guineas. I'm not that knowledgeable about how the whole guinea color genes work, just speaking to what I have found with mine (who may have some hidden color genes).
Also, FYI......you asked about different types of guineas. Most people just have your basic domesticated guinea fowl but GlennLee, who posts on here, has French guineas. You may want to ask her about them.

Sorry....wanted to make a correction. I believe that my porcelains and opalines probably came from my buff colored female (maybe from breeding with my lavender male). I have a pearl gray and buff dundotte female that lay and hatch together and not sure which hen produced which keets!

 

[Hillaire]

What is your source for this information? I have not read anything that would lead me to believe that what you are saying occurs. If it did work in this method, I feel very confident that the various known color combinations as shown in the Guinea Fowl International Color Chart would include colors as you describe which they don't.

To the best of my knowledge, Pearl Gray has complete dominance over the recessive blue color gene that causes the Lavender color.

past experience is my source... and I could have had birds with a recessive gene when this occurred on our farm. We got pearls with white wings and chest, and also lighter and darker variations but it wasn't with lavenders just pearl and white.

 

[GlennLee]

Sorry....wanted to make a correction. I believe that my porcelains and opalines probably came from my buff colored female (maybe from breeding with my lavender male). I have a pearl gray and buff dundotte female that lay and hatch together and not sure which hen produced which keets!

I love the color variations you have and find it interesting that your pearls seem to get picked off more than your lighter colored birds. Our neighbors down below have noticed the same thing. You would think the lighter color would make them more of a target. Just as you were posting, I must have been typing my response about the Jumbo French. Ha!

 

[guineapeeps]

past experience is my source... and I could have had birds with a recessive gene when this occurred on our farm.  We got pearls with white wings and chest, and also lighter and darker variations but it wasn't with lavenders just pearl and white.

It sounds like the pearl you mentioned was a pied pearl gray. Here is a picture of my pied. Did it look like this?

 

[R2elk]

past experience is my source... and I could have had birds with a recessive gene when this occurred on our farm. We got pearls with white wings and chest, and also lighter and darker variations but it wasn't with lavenders just pearl and white.

That is correct on the pied guineas. To the best of my knowledge this does not occur with any other color combination just the mixing of the white color gene with any solid color gene. The lighter and darker variations are supposedly due to the DSV factor (Dark Shade Variance).

 

[R2elk]

Sorry....wanted to make a correction. I believe that my porcelains and opalines probably came from my buff colored female (maybe from breeding with my lavender male). I have a pearl gray and buff dundotte female that lay and hatch together and not sure which hen produced which keets!

You are probably right about the pairing that caused them. Opalines and Porcelains are said to have both a recessive blue gene and a recessive buff gene. In order to get the Opaline, both your Buff Dundotte hen and your Lavender male would have had a recessive partial dotting gene.