GUINEAS 205 



nest is found, it contains a great many eggs, a large part of 

 which have been spoiled by long exposure to the weather. 



The first care of the breeder of these birds is to see that he 

 has suitable proportions of males and females. Guineas are 

 disposed to mate in pairs. Some poultry keepers who have 

 observed them closely say that while one or more extra females 

 may associate with a pair, the eggs of the extra females do not 

 usually hatch well. Occasionally it happens that a small flock are 

 all males or all females, and the owner does not find it out until 

 too late in the season to get a bird of the missing sex. When 

 a supposed guinea hen does not lay in the breeding season, the 

 owner often thinks that she lays but manages to completely 

 baffle his search for the nest. 



The period of incubation for guinea eggs is four weeks. The 

 young birds may be managed the same as young turkeys while 

 small, but do not need as close watching to keep them from 

 wandering away. Those that are hatched and reared by fowls are 

 tamer than those reared by guinea hens, but are not so hardy. 



