There has been a proposal by a group of members of the APA who raise Guinea Fowl to have three varieties of Guineas admitted to the APA Standard of Perfection. They would be the pearl, lavender and white varieties.  Since the Guinea is a new species relative to what we have presently in the standard, the Standard Committee is soliciting feedback from the Board and the membership.

There are a number of questions to be answered. The core question is whether extending recognition to a new species is a desirable action for the APA. Will this open the door for future proposals to admit other species to the Standard of Perfection?  Would admission of Guinea Fowl open the door for proposed recognition of all gallinaceous birds? Can an appropriate and practical Standard be fashioned for Guinea Fowl that will allow the breeders to participate in competitions against chickens, waterfowl or turkeys?

The Standard Committee is charged with following guidelines already established, but to also review any situation that affects the integrity of our Standard. We only make recommendations to the Board of Directors, who then make the final decision. Admitting the Guinea Fowl may also require a bylaw change because the bylaws specifically reference “Large Chickens, Bantams, Ducks, Geese and Turkeys.”

The second draft of the Guinea Standard has been completed and the Guinea fowl group is working on the third a probably final version of the standard.

The Standard Committee would like feedback from the membership and the Board of Directors. Please take a few minutes to send a note or email to the Standard Committee or your District Director.  The Standard Committee can be reached through Walt Leonard 4721 Occidental Rd. Santa Rosa, California  1-707-544-5103 (walter.leonard@sonoma.edu) or Sam Brush 1009 Hillview Dr. Keller, Texas 76248  (sbrush@charter.net)

The Guinea Fowl representative is S. Robert Powell, R.E. 1 Box 40, Carbondale, Pennsylvania 18407 (srp18407@yahoo.com). He will have the current standard available for interested parties.

The American Poultry Association Standard Committee