Very unusual chick, Guinea / chicken hybrid!!

[Nickeyo]

You could wait till they are perching and then put two very different coloured leg rings on them, do u have any pics of the hybrid standing???

 

[drumstick diva]

I had to drop in on this thread.

I was a follower of "Miracle, the Guin-hen," from the time of her birth till her sad demise, I think at 8 mos. old. Miracle had quite a fan club during her short existence and Menna was a wonderful story teller. Early on there were signs that Miracle was having problems- she lacked the stamina of her guinea hatchmates. For most of her short life we all took turns guessing her sex until she finally laid an egg. She survived two predator attacks on the flock but, was done in by a heart too small for her large body. I still have one of her feathers that Menna had offered to Miracles followers. It was such a very sad day to hear of her passing.

There were other guin-hen crosses reported but, I don't believe any lived to maturity. I hope your unusual chicks will prove otherwise. I am subscribing to hear how things go and hope you hatch out others.

 

[drumstick diva]

Please keep good watch on their rubber band leg bands - with a growth spurt they could become too tight fast & cut off circulation. See already I am worried and anxious about them, as though they were my own.

When I used to raise dogs I put a splash of color nail polish on their back foot. It stayed on long enough till they developed enough to see the difference in them without need of a tag. There were so many colors of poodle nail polish back in1960's and 70's, I didn't need to duplicate the colors.

 

[bemba]

That one in the photo, second one up from the bottom, clear at the top of your box looks like a Kildeer chick.

I was going to ask what is a killdeer, but now I know thanks to google images .... That is in fact a masked lapwing, but yes they do look very similar don't they! Here is an adult.....

 

[bemba]

I have a young Rhody Roo (I call him Goofy Foot for his huge feet, knock knees, and overall strange personality). He and three Helmeted Guineas have been CONSTANT companions since I brought a flock of mixed birds home when they were a month old... Yesterday I saw Goof, who is now about 5-6 mos old try to mount one of the Guineas... Perhaps if I can locate the eggs in the spring, I will get some of these strange ones too...

Is there any way to tell Guinea HEN from Cock???

You know it's funny I remember when I was quite young (about 10) looking at feathersite and the hybrid section thinking to myself how incredible it was that they could hybridise, and since then I always wanted to try to breed some of my own hybrids. I have kept chickens and guineas together for years and most of my guineas are chicken raised so you'd think I'd of hatched a hybrid in all those years, but nope never once! All my roosters are scared stiff of the guineas and wouldn't dare try to mount one LOL. But the malay seem to be a different story, the guineas seem to have much more respect for them, maybe because of their size and looks? Sounds like you could very well hatch out some hybrids also, they really are so interesting!

Sexing guineas ..... there is only one definite way of doing it, by voice! Only girls have the double syllable call like others have mentioned, wattles aren't a good indicator as I have males with small flat wattles and females with very large cupped wattles. Also females are a lot more placid going about their business pecking around, males often pose and charge, and are often very animated in their displays.

 

[bemba]

Oh my gawd, they look awesome, I want some. Can we have some pics of them up and about please

I'll take a bunch more pics Tomorrow is going to be their first day out on the lawn, perfect opportunity for pics

 

[bemba]

Wow I wish it was summer here. Our summers last about a week. I have been on this planet for 40 years now and yet I always act surprised how cold it gets here in winter. Like I've not been here for every single winter and so I should expect it. But my Guineas are keeping warm in their little red barn with their little heat lamp. They are only about two and a half months yet , not even quite more like two months and a week, so I don't dare let them get cold. Its been bitterly cold here at night so all my birds have supplemental heat. They free range all day with access to thier barns and lamps all day and I threw down straw in their pen so they wouldn't have to stand on icy ground. The keets continue to amaze me with how fast they are growing. I have heard several little girls Buckwheat so far and by my estimation there are 7 girls and 4 boys. I am trying to work up the courage to band their little legs so I can tell one from another should one get hurt or have medical problems that I need to know which one to watch. I didn't like the idea of banding them with the great big plastic poultry bands so I bought little rubber bands in the hair section of Walmart. The little Orthodontic sized ones but colored so after I band them I can identify each one and track their individual progress better. As always I still love your little guys they are a little bit younger than minebut not by much. They are just beautiful birds. And so family oriented. I love to watch them clean each other while perched. I never get tired of it. Take care of those gorgeous babies and yourself.

It's so weird how you are so cold there while we are getting ready for a North Queensland hot and humid tropical Xmas I really hate the cold and our winters aren't that cold and I struggle haha. That's a great idea to ID your birds... I'm lucky with my pieds as each one has unique markings, but with things like my white peafowl I band them all. Your keets sound very much loved

 

[bemba]

I had to drop in on this thread.

I was a follower of "Miracle, the Guin-hen," from the time of her birth till her sad demise, I think at 8 mos. old. Miracle had quite a fan club during her short existence and Menna was a wonderful story teller. Early on there were signs that Miracle was having problems- she lacked the stamina of her guinea hatchmates. For most of her short life we all took turns guessing her sex until she finally laid an egg. She survived two predator attacks on the flock but, was done in by a heart too small for her large body. I still have one of her feathers that Menna had offered to Miracles followers. It was such a very sad day to hear of her passing.

There were other guin-hen crosses reported but, I don't believe any lived to maturity. I hope your unusual chicks will prove otherwise. I am subscribing to hear how things go and hope you hatch out others.

Yes I remember the story well, that pic of Miracle as a day old in Menna's? hand, seriously the cutest chick I have ever seen! Such an amazing story and an amazing bird! So sad she passed so young. I have seen 2 hybrids live to good ages though one lived to 7 and the other 10 years old they were siblings but they were fathered by a guinea so don't know if that makes the difference PS how nice is it you got a feather off her, that is very thoughtful indeed

 

[ColesCreek]

Is there any way to tell Guinea HEN from Cock???

In Australia we only sex by the wattles not by voice its super easy to do and 101% accurate even my 3 year old daughter can sex them.

 

[ColesCreek]

I love all these hybrids you have bemba I was reading about your hybrid call ducks and hybrid chooks, most have pure fowls but you have all hybrids and thats different and cool, are you working on other hybrids? have you tried a seb goose to a call duck? the other one I want to try is a turkey to a sebright hen. I know the turkey will probably squash 1 or 2 hens but I have a few to spare.

Ok so as a hybrid breeder bemba if I lock the turkey tom and say 2 sebrights in a cage 1.5 x 1 meter would that improve the chances of fertility? I see you did that with the guinea and chook.

Looking forward to my new projects and seeing more hybrids