TURKEYS, GUINEAS, PEAFOWLS 277 



raised with the mother hens or in a brooder, for they 

 want hovering for six months. The old are very- 

 hardy and deHght to roost in tall trees or on the ridge- 

 pole of buildings. They are quite noisy and inclined to 

 roam. If the young are wintered the first year in a 

 yard inclosed with wire netting on sides and top they 

 will not roam so far in after years. The hens lay only 

 a few eggs, which require twenty-eight to thirty days 

 to hatch. The cocks do not get their full feathers 

 until three years of age. There are several varieties. 

 The Blue or variegated is the most common. The 

 White are rare as well as very beautiful. Peafowls 

 are often cruel to other fowls and are frequently a 

 great nuisance about the poultry yard. 



