GUINEA FOWLS. 661 



GUINEA FOWLS. 



THERE are many varieties of the Guinea fowl, all of which are supposed to have 

 originated in Africa. Among the many races of this bird some have a peculiar bony- 

 like helmet on the top of the head, while others have in its place a crest of feathers, 

 which varies more or less in different varieties. The most common varieties are those with 

 a plumage of dull black or dark bluish gray, finely dotted with, white, and those of pure 

 white plumage. Guinea fowls are very useful where there are many enemies to poultry, such 

 as hawks, crows, rats, etc., as they are ever on the alert for danger, and give the alarm in a 

 loud, shrill cry. An extensive poultry keeper says of them: 



&quot; To any one keeping a large number of hens a pair of Guineas is a good investment. I 

 know from experience that they will and do keep the hawks away. We live right under the 

 mountain (a favorite haunt of the hawks), but as long as our Guineas sun themselves on the 

 barn and exercise their vocal powers in the yards, the hawks prefer to swoop down upon the 

 defenseless poultry yards of neighbors or lie in wait for unlucky rabbits. 



Once when our Guineas had a brood of young I saw the hen rise on wing and chase a 

 yellow-eyed monster who had designs on her young family. We have for several years past 

 lost but one chicken by the hawks.&quot; 



They are prolific layers during the summer season, but their eggs, though small, are rich 

 in flavor, and fully make up in numbers what is lacking in size. The flesh of these fowls is 

 relished by those who are partial to a gamy flavor and dark meat. The principal objection 

 to these birds seems to be in the noise they make, as they keep up a screeching, disagreeable 

 sound; also in the difficulty of rearing the young chicks, which, when first hatched, are very 

 tender. They are apt to be pugnacious and domineering over other fowls when permitted to 

 mix with them, and quite inclined to steal their nests away, by which means many of their 

 eggs are liable to be lost. 



Management of Guinea Fowls. Although long domesticated, Guinea fowls still 

 seem to retain much of their wild nature, the young chicks when hatched being quite wild; 

 but, when kindly treated and often fed, these birds will become sufficiently tame to eat from 

 the hand, and will not wander far from home. They usually commence to lay in June. The 

 eggs have a thick shell, which is about the color of that of the Brahma, but quite speckled. 

 When set under a hen, they require a month s sitting. The chicks, when first hatched, are 

 very tender, and continue to be so until they change their coat of soft down for one of 

 feathers. After this critical period they seem quite hardy, and will, in a great measure, take 

 care of themselves. They are very pretty little creatures, of a dun color, and remind one of 

 young partridges. A breeder of these fowls says: 



&quot;The first one I reared was an odd egg put under a hen for an experiment, early in the 

 spring. The hen hatched twelve chickens, and then kept on sitting till the Guinea chick was 

 hatched. (I did not then know how long the chicken would be coming from the shell). 

 After it was hatched I put it with some young chickens two days old, and it grew and 

 flourished, eating the same as the chickens. What seemed to me very strange was that when 

 fifteen more little Guineas hatched, the first one would never stay with them, but made a 

 shrill whistle till I put it with the chickens, when it would seem perfectly happy; and to this 

 day, although ten months old, it prefers to be with its foster brothers and sisters rather than 

 with the Guinea hens. This shows how tame the birds may become.&quot; 



It also shows how easily they can be trained to run with the hens, and when so reared 

 they will not be as apt to quarrel with them. Young Guinea fowls should be fed and man 

 aged generally the same as young turkeys. These fowls, like turkeys, will be inclined to seek 

 high roosts, such as trees and the top of sheds, but should never be permitted to do so. They 

 should be provided with shelter and roosts, the same as barnyard poultry. 



