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. 



