THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



would be very profitable poultry in some 

 localities, being best of all adapted to the 

 " let alone " system on a farm, where they 

 will find nearly all their own living, laying 

 about seventy eggs a year, and devouring more 

 insects than any other poultry, for practically 

 no cost in food. But there is at present no 

 great market for them ; and their eggs are 

 small, and very apt to be laid away and get 

 either lost or stale in such circumstances. 

 The cocks are also very pugnacious with other 

 poultry, driving them away from their food. 



twenty-eight days. The chicks are small, and 

 rather delicate as regards damp ; and having 

 very small crops, require feeding not less than 



six times a day. Until they can 

 Breeding roam about, they require a fair pro- 

 Guinea Fowls, portion of animal food, and plenty 



of succulent green food. They should 

 at first be confined to a small wired grass- 

 run, shifted every two days, or they may run 

 away and get lost. After they are large and 

 strong enough to range about, they require little 

 feeding. Ihis should be given them with the 



The Common Guinea Fowl 



Given, however, any steady demand for young 

 birds, Guinea fowls will pay very well indeed. 

 It should perhaps be remarked, that while 

 generally most saleable at the season above 

 mentioned, they are really more delicious and 

 tender if eaten in late autumn and winter, when 

 they are younger. Birds eaten then, of course, 

 save their keep through the winter ; but though 

 a delicious dish at home, at that time of year 

 there is little market demand for such small birds. 

 A stock of Guinea fowls should be commenced 

 from eggs, not from purchased birds, and these 

 should be hatched under hens, when they grow up 

 much more tame. The normal time for hatch- 

 ing is twenty-six days, extending sometimes to 



other fowls, when they will come back to the 

 yard at night ; and if the fowl-hftuse is large and 

 lofty, or, still better, if a large and lofty one 

 can be given up to them, with high perches, 

 they are readily taught to roost at home. 



The wild bird is monogamous ; in domes- 

 tication two hens may be allowed to each cock ; 

 more than this sometimes succeeds, but nearly 

 as often fails. The cock closely resembles the 

 hen, but is generally slightly larger, has_ larger 

 wattles, his voice is a more shrill shriek instead 

 of the female's well-known " come-back " note, 

 and he has a peculiar habit of strutting on tip- 

 toe, and arching his back. The hen begins_ to 

 lay from the end of March in very warm spring 



