150 POULTRY CULTURE 



Or/£/S£ 



In geese the gander may be used the first season, but the 

 geese should not be used for breeders till after they are one 

 year old. Their best breeding ages is from two to five years 

 of age. One gander may be placed with two to three geese. 



Geese should be mated early in the winter, not later than 

 the first of February. If mating is too long delayed the 

 females may not lay any fertile eggs during the spring. 



When a goose walks around holding straws or bits of wood 

 in its beak, it is a sign that laying time is near. The sitting 

 goose should have grain, green feed, and water. 



GUINEA FOWLS 



Guinea fowls are natives of Africa. There is no fowl that 

 needs less "given" food than Guineas, or that needs less 

 roosting accommodations. 



There are said to be about twelve breeds of Guinea fowls 

 in their native country, but only one has been domesticated in 

 this country. There are three colors of this one breed — 

 namely, pearl, lavender, and white. 



Given suitable trees, the old birds will roost in the upper 

 branches out of the way of vermin and are as good as any watch 

 dog to give alarm. 



Guinea fowls are monogamous in their wild state, but the 

 cock will successfully mate with two or three hens. 



The male birds are usually larger than the females, and have 

 a .peculiar habit of strutting about on tiptoe with the back 

 arched. The wattles of the male are more prominent, and 

 are inclined to stick out. The call of the female is much differ- 

 ent from that of the male; the call of the male is a more shrill 

 and chattering, a prolonged scream, while that of the female 

 sounds more like " come back !" "come back !" The hens usu- 

 ally begin to lay at the commencement of April and lay con- 

 tinually till the middle of August. The eggs are of medium 

 size, brown in color, spotted with red and pointed. The hens 

 seldom lay in the roosting house, but often select a* nest in 

 the open. The eggs should never be removed from the nest 



