What color are we? - Pic Heavy

[Ravie]

I purchased these from someone who didn't know what color they were. I understand his confusion, because although there are great websites devoted to identifying guinea keet colors, I seem unable to do so.

It seems like the body is pretty close to a true white. The markings on some are striped (as I would expect from a pearl), but the striping is irregular on other keets or practically non-existent. There is faint striping down their backs. You can see this from the picture.

Originally, I thought these were lite lavender, but I think the striping is more buff in color and less the grey-blue I'd expect from a lav.

What do you think?

 

[PeepsCA]

First keet is a Buff Dundotte (Wide middle head stripe). Looks like it might possibly also be Pied, but hard to tell... the head marking area is sort of narrow, so that usually indicates the keet is Pied in my hatches. (I can't tell in the pics if the flight feathers are pure white or a pale cream).

2nd keet is a Buff (Broken head stripes).

Both keets look kind of light, so they could be males... but there can be quite a bit of variation in color from flock to flock, so color isn't always a definitive way to sex keets in the buff gene family...


All my keets in the blue gene family will have grey/blue feather shafts when they start getting their feathers, and usually my buff gened keets will have white or pale cream feather shafts.

Here's a Lite Lavender keet pictured with a Pied Lavender from my last hatch. (See what I mean about the narrow head stripe area on the Pied keet?)


And here's one of my Buffs from this hatch (I didn't hatch any Buff Dundottes this time)...
It's a little darker than my usual Buffs, so... this one may be a Hen.

 

[Ravie]

First keet is a Buff Dundotte (Wide middle head stripe). Looks like it might possibly also be Pied, but hard to tell... the head marking area is sort of narrow, so that usually indicates the keet is Pied in my hatches. (I can't tell in the pics if the flight feathers are pure white or a pale cream).

2nd keet is a Buff (Broken head stripes).

Both keets look kind of light, so they could be males... but there can be quite a bit of variation in color from flock to flock, so color isn't always a definitive way to sex keets in the buff gene family...


All my keets in the blue gene family will have grey/blue feather shafts when they start getting their feathers, and usually my buff gened keets will have white or pale cream feather shafts.

Here's a Lite Lavender keet pictured with a Pied Lavender from my last hatch. (See what I mean about the narrow head stripe area on the Pied keet?)


I'll go grab my Buffs from this hatch for a pic (I didn't hatch any Buff Dundottes this time tho)...

Wow, your response has been so helpful! I can't thank you enough. Here are two more from the group. I am guessing they are all buff varieties too.

 

[PeepsCA]

Sure, no prob.. I have hatched a ton of keets, lots of colors, so I've stared and stared at lots of keets trying to figure out what they are, lol.

The keet in the left pic looks like the first one, a Buff Dundotte, possibly Pied too.

But the lighting in the right pic almost makes me say Porcelain on that keet. (It looks a little too light to be a Lite lavender, but could be the lighting)... Check the feather shafts (under the wings), if they are all white or a pale cream then it's just a really light Buff Dundotte... and if they are blue/blue grey at all then I'd say Porcelain (or Lite Lavender if the keet is actually a little darker than the pics shows it to be).

They are cuties tho, congrats

PS...
Forgot to mention, a wide middle head stripe always indicates the keet will be fully pearled, and broken/squiggly head stripes always indicate the keet will be partially pearled... regardless of the color of the stripes. The color of the body, body stripes and head stripes determine the color tho, so you always have those factors to consider when you are trying to determine what the keets will feather out as when they mature. It's confusing sometimes, especially on the in between shades that never match anything on any color charts

 

[Ravie]

Thank-you for your help. You're me hero now. I have been staring and staring. Now I know better how to check any future keets, too.

You don't sell eggs do you? Or ship keets?

 

[PeepsCA]

Thank-you for your help. You're me hero now. I have been staring and staring. Now I know better how to check any future keets, too.

You don't sell eggs do you? Or ship keets?

Only in CA, my flocks aren't NPIP certified yet. Hopefully by next season tho... if my Guineas haven't made me lose my mind by that point lol.

 

[Ravie]

Haha. This is my first year incubating anything. I've done ducks and chickens and have an insanely good hatch rate. So now, it's becoming an addiction. I found something I'm GOOD at. And they sell well too! Seriously, I think I am getting used to the excitement of having something to look forward to, every 21-28 days. I don't know if I will ever stop.

Silly question, but do you have to be NPIP certified to ship out of California?

 

[PeepsCA]

California Poultry Laws stink, so yah, I'm required by law to have my flocks NPIP certified prior to shipping eggs keets or adults out of CA. Many go ahead and do it anyway, and not all post offices report those that don't abide by the poultry laws, but since I'd like to get certified eventually... I don't want to be hassled by the CA Poultry Board. Eggs, keets and adults shipped into CA are supposed to be NPIP certified as well. I don't know if other states' laws are as strict or more lenient tho, or if anybody even pays attention to them, lol.

Glad to see we have another hatch-o-holic among us!

 

[KrisH]

Peeps, California manages the program in California, but NPIP is Federal. some states are stricter than others, and may require more than the standard Pulorium/typhoid testing and require avian influnza testing every 6 months. turkeys require a lab test, at least guineas and chickens is a quick blood test on site. In South Carolina you can become qualified to be a state certified tester (Kria and i have) the class was great, even if you decide not to certify your farm. we have taken the class, but are working on some minor improvements before calling the state vet for the testng.

RobertH

Ps your farm has to be NPIP certified to ship across ANY states lines legally, but i have heard that the post office is not in charge of USDA enforcement and doesn't want to be.

California Poultry Laws stink, so yah, I'm required by law to have my flocks NPIP certified prior to shipping eggs keets or adults out of CA. Many go ahead and do it anyway, and not all post offices report those that don't abide by the poultry laws, but since I'd like to get certified eventually... I don't want to be hassled by the CA Poultry Board. Eggs, keets and adults shipped into CA are supposed to be NPIP certified as well. I don't know if other states' laws are as strict or more lenient tho, or if anybody even pays attention to them, lol.

Glad to see we have another hatch-o-holic among us!

 

[PeepsCA]

I've been in contact with the President of the CA Poultry Heath Board and the CA Poultry Health Board/CA Poultry Federation representative that is in charge of NPIP certification about shipping eggs out of CA... just to verify that it was actually THE LAW, lol. This is what I was told:

Per your email below, yes, you do need NPIP certification to ship chicks or eggs across state lines. People do it, but are usually caught at the receiving state and you and I will get a letter stating that a VS9-3 was missing or a health certificate.

As to who is in charge of the USDA enforcement, it was not mentioned, but obviously somebody is supposed to be. I'm still not risking it tho. I respect the laws and I respect program... (even if it is just P-T and AI that they test for).

That's cool you guys are certified testers. I didn't ask for any info about becoming a certified state tester tho, I have enough on my plate with all my birds and other animals on my own ranch already, lol.