Helmeted Guinea Fowl Colors/Genetics

[ColtHandorf]

It has been years since I've had guineas. A friend decided she needed to clear out a coop so she sent one Pearl male and a Lavender, Pearl, and Royal Purple hen to live at my house. Fifteen years ago I just let all the guineas run together. I didn't really care about keeping them pure for colors. What sort of keets can I expect from them? I'm guessing mostly Pearl, but I thought I'd ask.

 

[R2elk]

It has been years since I've had guineas. A friend decided she needed to clear out a coop so she sent one Pearl male and a Lavender, Pearl, and Royal Purple hen to live at my house. Fifteen years ago I just let all the guineas run together. I didn't really care about keeping them pure for colors. What sort of keets can I expect from them? I'm guessing mostly Pearl, but I thought I'd ask.

It all depends on the hidden recessive genes. You should get all Pearl Grays unless your Pearl Gray male is carrying hidden recessive genes. Once the offspring start producing, you could get a lot of different varieties such as the Lavender, Royal Purple, Bronze, etc.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Cool. I'll have to look into some of the newer colors that have become available just for some more variety. I almost messed up the other day. I usually let a pen of birds out each day and was going down the row of breeding pens and without thinking opened the gate and started to walk away. I heard one little "buck-wheat" and whipped around so fast I don't ever think I've seen my Orpingtons jump that fast. The guineas weren't even out of the barn yet, but I closed the gate up and just moved to the next pen like I hadn't almost turned them out after being home for less than a week. I've got another five weeks or so before they'll be allowed out.

Interestingly, these are the quietest guineas I've ever owned. They've only gone completely nuts once in the week they've been home and that's because two of the resident Black Vultures decided to land on the roof of the barn and sun themselves. It was deafening with the guineas, chickens, and turkeys all screeching and yelling inside the metal barn and the geese screaming in the yard. So far I've enjoyed having them again. They are very calm (for guineas) although the Lavender who was the calmest, is the most nervous now. She somehow managed to get into their neighbors pen so I had to catch her to get her back over the fence.

The male is a little dumb, but he's very cute. He stands on their tire dustbath and surveys his new kingdom. He's the most vocal of the bunch. The hens spend more time in the barn checking out nest boxes and such. Which I'm also fairly surprised they are using. Even the wall mounted boxes. My old guineas used to lay in communal nests and bury them somewhere.

Old Guineas:

 

[ColtHandorf]

New Guineas:

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

New Guineas:

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Nice looking group! I love your barn/run setup too. I hope you enjoy your new guineas and they remember what a great thing they have living with you, once you intentionally let them out!

 

[ColtHandorf]

hope you enjoy your new guineas and they remember what a great thing they have living with you, once you intentionally let them out!

No kidding. I would have been so irritated if I hadn't realized and they'd gone for a wander. I saw a fox at the back fence line a few days ago. So no one is getting out unless I'm standing out there with them. And after the colossal sunburn I got yesterday, it's going to be a few days before I'm up for babysitting them.

 

[My2butterflies]

Sorry to drift from the topic... but how tall is your fence? Does it keep everyone in?
Just curious because we will be making a run with the same fencing 6’ high. I’m hoping it will be tall enough to contain chickens and turkeys.

 

[R2elk]

Sorry to drift from the topic... but how tall is your fence? Does it keep everyone in?
Just curious because we will be making a run with the same fencing 6’ high. I’m hoping it will be tall enough to contain chickens and turkeys.

Six feet tall might contain turkeys if there is no top rail or bar.

 

[My2butterflies]

Six feet tall might contain turkeys if there is no top rail or bar.

Yep, no top rail. We just don’t want poop covering the whole yard or our patios. My husband has been hearing horror stories from his dad about how bad chickens can be poop wise. Its hard for me to picture because we don’t find much poop from the guineas and the guineas don’t poop all over our steps, patio, driveway, furniture, ect. And they never enter buildings that aren’t their coop. Now I’m worried we might be ruining a good thing by adding the chickens.

 

[R2elk]

Yep, no top rail. We just don’t want poop covering the whole yard or our patios. My husband has been hearing horror stories from his dad about how bad chickens can be poop wise. Its hard for me to picture because we don’t find much poop from the guineas and the guineas don’t poop all over our steps, patio, driveway, furniture, etc. And they never enter buildings that aren’t their coop. Now I’m worried we might be ruining a good thing by adding the chickens.

Most people that have those issues treat their poultry as pets and give them treats in those areas. Then they wonder why the poultry is always hanging around in those areas. Anywhere the poultry congregate will be where lots of droppings are found.

I don't treat any of my poultry as pets and do not have problems with them hanging around where I don't want them.