DUCKS GEESE AND GUINEAS 127 
are matured, much to the ill-concealed disgust of 
biddy. 
Guinea fowls, if there are more than two or three, 
should not be yarded with the other poultry, for 
they are confirmed mischief makers and will make 
life a burden for the common hens, chasing them 
from one end of the yard to the other and driving 
them away from their meals. As a matter of fact, 
it is not easy to keep them yarded at all, unless their 
wings are clipped or the yards covered, for they have 
well-developed flying powers. 
Amateurs usually experience no little difficulty in 
distinguishing the sexes. The males commonly are 
larger than the females, possess larger wattles and 
have some white on their breasts. Then, too, they 
are not as talkative as their mates and have a shorter 
note than the “buck-wheat” call of the hen. A 
pen of guineas usually consists of one male and from 
six to ten females. The young birds are often sold 
by the pair and are not dressed. Indeed, the ama- 
teur should have no difficulty in disposing of a few 
birds alive, and so avoid the unpleasant task of kill- 
ing them. Where there is sufficient land available, 
it is worth while experimenting with a pen of 
guinea fowls. 
