The Illustrated Book of Poultry , 
5 10 
round the person who feeds them, and even allow themselves to be taken up and petted, like other 
poultry. When reared thus kindly, and secluded nests are provided, they will generally lay in the 
house ; and if perches are placed high for them, and they are regularly fed every night, will roost at 
home also. So far domesticated they will pay to rear, in places where they can have ample range, 
for their flesh alone, which is most delicious, resembling that of the pheasant. The hen lays from 
60 to 100 eggs per annum, the eggs being rather small, very pointed at the end, and of a dark 
cream-colour. These eggs are of beautiful flavour, and there is considerable demand for them in 
London, where we have often seen them exposed for sale in little baskets lined with green moss. 
Mr. Hewitt kindly adds a few remarks which places their utility in what we must confess is to 
us a novel light, and which it may be well to “make a note of.” He writes: “As to Guinea 
fowls, if allowed to breed wild and become numerous, they will invariably displace all the 
pheasants in any covert they may take to, if not interfered with ; and as when thus wild they will 
run before dogs with all the pertinacity of the corncrake, they afford but little sport for the gun. 
It may be added, the flavour of the birds thus allowed unrestrained liberty is certainly improved, 
and more game-like than ordinary, becoming more like that of the partridge than the pheasant. 
Although thus unsuitable for sport, it must be constantly borne in mind no birds are better house- 
guards, if allowed constantly to roost in high trees (which they will always do if they can) near the 
residence of their owners. It is with them, as with Spanish geese — * nothing can stir about in the 
night without their becoming aware of it ; and they as invariably give notice of it by their restless 
cries, so that to be forewarned of danger is half the battle.’ Such were the remarks written to me 
by a friend long since dead, and who added, ‘ I am sure, Mr. Hewitt, in all these years I have 
rested safely, without any robbery, though our place is desolate enough to invite pilfering, well 
knowing my Spanish geese and the Guinea fowls were the best watch-dogs in the neighbourhood ; 
in fact, the dogs almost invariably give us only the second notice of coming danger — indeed, my 
impression certainly is the dogs themselves as confidently rely on the geese and Guinea fowls as we 
ourselves do.’ ” 
The Guinea hen seldom sits herself until August, when chicks are always somewhat difficult 
to rear. Hence it is advisable to set the earlier eggs under hens, which not only avoids this 
difficulty, but brings them up tamer. The period of incubation is generally twenty-six days, not 
twenty-eight as often stated. If the eggs are removed daily, in the hen’s absence, she will not 
forsake the nest, provided one be left in it as a nest-egg ; but if several are allowed to accumulate 
and then removed, she will seek another, concealing the second nest most carefully. The chickens 
are said to be very delicate ; but this arises from the small size of their crops, which will not 
contain enough food to last them nearly so long as those of other chickens do. Hence they need 
feeding every half-hour ; and, if thus treated, may be reared at least as easily as turkeys. They 
grow fast, as already stated. Ordinary good chicken diet, such as ground oats, will suit them ; 
but they require rather more animal food, such as chopped egg or cooked meat. We once, in our 
young days, reared a chick from an egg given us, in the small stone-paved yard we have on a 
previous occasion referred to ; and this solitary chick always appeared to do well enough even there, 
till an accident, such as will happen in the best-regulated families, brought it to an untimely end. 
The youngsters have amazingly thick and strong legs compared with other chickens, and 
become able to “ paddle their own canoe” — and at a surprising rate too — at a very early age. The 
young chicks are very pretty, the body being brown, beautifully striped, and the legs and bill a 
deep orange red. The adult weight varies from three to four pounds, the latter being rarely ex- 
ceeded, though odd birds have been known to reach more. The plumage being very plentiful 
the bird when plucked is smaller than it would appear. 
