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Helmeted Guinea Fowl Colors |
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Research is updating our information about guinea fowl Color Families and Spotting Patterns, and breeders are developing new color categories. This Color Chart does not represent all of the feathering patterns that may be possible. A more comprehensive Color Chart is currently being developed and will be posted on this site at a later date. Three Colors* Recognized in the Standard of Perfection for Showing Guinea Fowl |
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Click on each image to enlarge. |
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Fully Pearled |
Semi Pearled |
Faintly Pearled (Fully |
Solid (Semi |
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Pearl Gray* Original color of guineas - Dark gray background with white pearling on entire body |
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Royal Purple Very dark color with purplish look in the sun - Pearling on lower wings and flanks - Semi-spotted |
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Slate Steel gray color with cream highlights over shoulders/back - Faint pearling |
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Violet Dark solid color - Sun brings out the violet sheen - Similar to Royal Purple without pearling |
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Bronze Variance of Royal Purple - Black color with bronze cast over shoulders, back, neck and chest - Reddish color on primary wing feathers - Semi-spotted |
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Copper Violet base color with coppery look similar to bronze sheen of Bronze - Especially brought out in sunlight - No pearling |
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Brown Pearling is quite bold with dark brown areas mixed with light tan color of body - Fully spotted |
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Chocolate Similar to Brown displaying less pearling - Brown color in more patches |
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Pewter Pewter gray color - Sometimes streaky - Faint pearling |
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Cinnamon Paler than Brown but deeper than Buff Dundotte - Fully spotted |
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Soft brown color - Lighter than Chocolate but deeper than Buff - Semi-spotted |
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Description to come - Faint pearling |
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Same base color as Pewter but with a tan tint instead of the gray tone - No pearling |
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Buff Dundotte Soft tan color with pearling over entire body - Females darker than males |
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Buff Soft tan color all over varying from near white to light tan - Females darker than males - Semi-spotted |
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Ivory Color between buff and white - Faint pearling |
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Lavender* Steel gray or lavender color with pearling over entire body as in Pearl Gray |
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Soft blue color with air-brushed blue around edges of feathers - Semi-spotted |
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Powder Blue Light blue color - Faint pearling |
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Sky Blue Same soft blue color as Coral Blue but without any pearling |
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Lite Lavender Light variance of Lavender - Color right between Lavender and Porcelain - Fully spotted |
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Lite Coral Light variance of Coral Blue - Color right between Coral Blue and Opaline - Light cranial skin - Semi-spotted |
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Lite Powder Light variance of Powder Blue - Faint pearling - New color - Not yet commercially available |
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Lite Sky Light variance of Sky Blue - No pearling - New color - Not yet commercially available |
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Porcelain Variance of Lavender - Very pale pastel blue with white pearling over most of body |
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Opaline Near-white color with pale icy blue cast - Very faint pearling on wings and flanks - Light cranial skin - Semi-spotted |
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Pied Pied Pearl Gray (pictured) is usual color of Pied sold by hatcheries - Any color can be pied |
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Pinto Description to come |
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White* Solid white color - No pearling |
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Guinea Fowl Keet Colors |
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Trying to decide what color keets you have? Give them time to dry and fluff and just look at the top of their heads. There are four main groups to narrow this ID down: Fully Pearled, Semi Pearled, Faintly Pearled, and Solid. Fully Pearled means spots appear over the entire body as your keet matures into an adult guinea. Semi Pearled is just that, usually spots on parts of lower wings and flanks as adults. Faintly Pearled adults have hard-to-see very faint spots. Solid is void of any markings. Remember the head is where to start; then check the body, belly and wing colors. A description of the keet head markings for each group can be found in the column headings. There is another group that can be found with any color, Pied, which means white feathers varying in different amounts and areas ranging from a few feathers on the chest to full white chest and wings. Any color variety can be "pied" with white feathering. |
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Key to Guinea Fowl Keet Colors Upper pictures in each box are older keets feathering out showing pearling or solid colors. On most, head markings are still visible. |
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Fully Pearled Head marked with one broad stripe, two smaller on each side |
Semi Pearled Head marked with irregular lines/stripes |
Faintly Pearled (Fully Head solid color/no stripes |
Solid (Semi Head solid color/no stripes |
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Pearl Gray
Brown striped body with darker broad stripe on head, smaller on each side - Notice signs of full pearling on older keet |
Royal Purple
Brown striped body with white on face, wings and belly |
Slate
Dark rust colored body with some white on belly and throat |
Violet
Rusty colored body with white face, wings and belly |
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Bronze
Very similar to above Royal Purple keet - May have rusty tinge on wing |
Copper
Very similar to Pastel and Pewter keets but color on head is a much brighter copper color (like a new penny) - Will feather out a lighter version of Violet |
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Brown
Strongly resembles Pearl Gray keet but a lighter, faded appearance |
Chocolate
Body light shades of brown with white face, wings and belly |
Pewter
Solid rust colored body - Lighter than Slate keet |
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Cinnamon
Description to come |
Blonde
Similar markings but lighter version of Chocolate keet |
Smokey
Description to come |
Pastel
Similar solid rust color as Pewter keet but with much more white on belly and wings |
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Buff Dundotte
Very light tan colored body with dark tan broad stripe on head and two smaller on each side - Tan stripes on back |
Buff
Near-white colored body with irregular light tan stripes on head and back - Females darker than males |
Ivory
Description to come |
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Lavender
Light lavender color with markings same as Pearl Gray keet |
Coral blue
Light blue color body with white on wings, face and belly - Notice beginning of partial pearling on older keet |
Powder Blue
Solid pewter or gray-blue color |
Sky Blue
Light blue color with white on face, belly and wings |
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Lite Lavender
Similar markings but lighter version of Lavender keet |
Lite Coral
Pewter or gray-blue body with irregular stripes on head - Some white on wings and belly |
Lite Powder
Description to come |
Lite Sky
Description to come |
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Porcelain
Off-white colored body with very pale gray-blue broad and narrow stripes on head and back |
Opaline
Mostly white body with faint color on head that might appear pale blue or pale gold - Fainter color on back |
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Pied See guide to Pied Keet Colors below |
Pinto
Description to come |
White
Pure white - Sometimes has a black dot on top or back of head - These birds are not albino and are the only solid white bird that hatches solid white and not yellow |
Here are some identification tips:
Comparison between Lavender (on left) and two Coral Blue - VERY close except for HEADS - REMEMBER, broad stripe with smaller will be fully pearled while broken will be semi pearled |
Comparison between male and female Buff keets - Note that the female (on the right) is darker than the male |
Two darker keets...Looking Pied Brown, Pied Chocolate |
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Comparison between Violet, Copper, Pewter, and Pastel |
 
Upper keet feathers as a Pearl Gray - Another combination that results in pearl feathering is shown in lower picture with dark, solid feathering and what looks like a widow's peak |
Two pictures on the top right are the darker keets in basket - One has irregular stripes and the other has one broad stripe - Both appear to be Pied
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Pied Guinea Fowl Keet Colors |
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Pied keets come in all the different colors. Remember the basic head markings and identify the color. Then think about the extra white on their chests, parts of wings or full wings, which makes them Pied. Pied keets may be harder to ID when very young. As they start to feather, you will notice what is going to stay white on their chests and wings. |
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Key to Pied Guinea Fowl Keet Colors Upper pictures in each box are pied adult guineas. |
These first three pied varieties will be fully pearled when mature:
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Pied Pearl Gray
Same as above Pearl Gray keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings |
Pied Lavender
Same as above Lavender keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings |
Pied Brown
Same as above Brown keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings |
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Keet on left side is Pied Lavender - Compare to keet on right side that is Lavender without the white pied markings |
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These three colors will be semi pearled when mature:
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Pied Chocolate
Same as above Chocolate keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings |
Pied Royal Purple
Same as above Royal Purple keet ALONG WITH additional white on chest and/or wings - Keets in lower left picture are all Royal Purple - Right side with more white is Pied Royal Purple |
Pied Coral Blue Same as above Coral Blue keet ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings
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These colors will be faintly pearled when mature:
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Pied Slate
Same as above Slate keet ALONG WITH additional white on chest and/or wings |
Pied Powder Blue Solid light pewter color ALONG WITH any degree of white on chest and/or wings |
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These colors will be solid when mature:
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Pied Sky Blue Same as above Sky Blue keet ALONG WITH additional white on chest and/or wings |
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If you have an adult or keet picture of a color variety that is not yet displayed, you may email it to us or send it to the address on our Contact Us page. We would be happy to consider your photo(s) for inclusion in this chart. |
Thanks to Brenda (brenTx) for her invaluable help with our original color chart.