126 THE HOME POULTRY BOOK 
ing the period of incubation. If left to her own 
devices, the hen will lay many more eggs than she 
can cover, so that it is customary to remove them. 
This proceeding is one which demands caution, for 
the guinea hen is a wise and suspicious bird. Peo- 
ple say she can count to five. Anyway, that num- 
ber of eggs should always be left in the nest and 
those which are removed, while the hen seeks pro- 
vender, must be lifted out with a wooden spoon. 
The amateur may laugh at this statement, and call 
it an old wife’s tale. He will learn better when he 
sees nest after nest abandoned. 
The eggs removed should be given to hens, al- 
though the latter might refuse to take them if they 
realized the task confronting them. Guinea chicks 
are strange little creatures. They fairly pop out of 
their shells when the day of hatching comes, and as 
soon as they are dried off, they are ready to start 
out to see the world. Unless boards or netting is 
placed around the nest, there is danger that the ven- 
turesome young guineas will wander away and be- 
come lost. Although they grow rapidly and soon 
become quite capable of caring for themselves, 
they refuse to be weaned and continue to tag after 
the hen which has mothered them until they 
