Published by 
The Rural Publishing Co. 
333 W. 30th Street 
New York 
The Rural New-Yorker 
The Business Farmer’s Paper 
Weekly, One Dollar Per Year 
Postpaid 
Single Copies, Five Cents 
Vol. LXXVI. 
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 23, 1915. 
No. 4349. 
Raising the Guinea Fowl. 
Part I. 
A N ANCIENT BREED.—Of all our domesticated 
fowls the guinea is the least known, which is 
a peculiar fact when we consider its lengthy ex¬ 
istence, for we are told of the Greeks and Romans 
hack in ancient times raising the guinea for table 
use, for which it was highly prized. Its exact origin 
is unknown, but we find here and there references 
which lead us to believe its original home was 
Africa, probably Guinea—where it now is found in 
abundance as it also is through most warm coun¬ 
tries and climates. In the United States they are 
quite uncommon in flocks of any size, more often a 
pair here and there being kept for sentry duty to 
ward off hawks and other marauders of the poultry 
yards. Such were the circumstances which prompt¬ 
ed me some years ago to purchase a pair. I gave 
very little thought or study on the matter, simply 
purchased the first pair I found, for they guaran¬ 
teed their lungs of many horsepower strength— 
strong enough to emit a noise to frighten off the 
most hardened marauder. This, and their wander¬ 
ing habits seem to be the main reason for the dis¬ 
like they are held in by a majority but I have yet 
to find either troublesome. The cry 
is loud and harsh when alarmed, hut 
usually they make less noise than some 
of our common fowls—ducks for in¬ 
stance. In fact a small pen of Leg¬ 
horns make more noise and disturb¬ 
ance when I approach the henhouse 
than my pen of guineas which is near¬ 
ly double in number. As to their wan¬ 
dering habits, if the birds are correctly 
handled this is more advantageous 
than otherwise for they will forage so 
successfully that their feed will cost 
hut little. They will live almost en¬ 
tirely on seeds, worms, insects, etc., 
found on the range. If left to them¬ 
selves entirely they steal their nests 
in unheard-of places and otherwise 
harken back to the wild state—roost¬ 
ing in the trees and becoming alarmed 
at the slightest disturbances. 
VARIETIES.—My original pair were 
what is commonly called “pearl guin¬ 
eas” which we usually find most com¬ 
mon through the farming sections of 
New England. Their plumage is near¬ 
ly black and thickly dotted with small 
white spots or pearls. The heads and 
fully half of the necks are bare except 
for metallic blue black hair-like feath¬ 
ers which turn toward the head, which 
in itself presents a very bony appear¬ 
ance, especially when the horn or hel¬ 
met attains its full growth. The head 
is covered with a leathery appearing 
skin which very much resembles white 
chamois or kid, while the wattles which grow at 
the angle of the throat, or gape, are usually a 
bright crimson, while the same shade is found 
around the eyes and horn. The legs are small and 
in the true guinea are a brownish black. When he 
becomes angry or pugnacious his wings drop and the 
feathers on the back become elevated, and he pre¬ 
sents a very formidable aspect; then beware of his 
beak, for he can strike a most ferocious blow. Be¬ 
sides the “pearl” there are two other varieties more 
or less commonly raised in captivity, or I should 
perhaps say domesticity. Do not consider these 
three are the only varieties, for there are at least 
nine species belonging to the guinea family. I am 
speaking mainly of the three most known varieties 
of the common guinea, Numida meleagris. The 
white guinea is considered by some a distinct type, 
by others albinos of the pearl. I am inclined to 
think the former correct for they practically never, 
if bred straight, hatch out a colored bird, and it is 
very infrequent for straight-bred pearls to hatch out 
white. We find sports, white barred with black 
and vice versa, but these sports will not breed their 
like. The lavender guinea seems to be also distinct 
from the pearl or white, though it resembles the 
pearl in every respect except color, which is a lav¬ 
ender gray and quite metallic lavender on the 
breast. The pearl is hardier than either of the 
other two mentioned kinds, while the white grows 
larger, is a little easier domesticated and the flesh 
is not so dark. For this reason alone if one is 
raising to supply a game market the pearl is to be 
preferred, though T raise both and cross, getting a 
larger hardier bird, which I will tell you about 
later. 
HABITS AND CARE.—The true habits as I be¬ 
fore mentioned are to roost in trees and build their 
nests in secluded places, usually a hollow in the 
ground suffices if it is some distance from the build¬ 
ing. I have had them build very close to the build¬ 
ings, in high grass, weeds or bushes, much as the 
common hen steals her nest. By closely watching 
the male, one can usually discover near location of 
the nest, though if openly watched neither bird will 
approach it; they are very wary and will lead one 
as far as possible in opposite direction. When the 
nest is located it is advisable to leave it entirely 
alone until at least several eggs have accumulated 
there. Part may be removed leaving at least three 
or if one has on hand guinea eggs which have failed 
to hatch these may be marked with an indelible 
pencil and substituted, for it is very necessary to 
have several nest eggs. Some consider the birds 
The Young Stock Breeder and His Herd. Fig. 466. 
will desert the nest if the eggs are removed by 
hand, but I find this has little effect either one way 
or the other, the main point being to have at least 
three or more nest eggs, provided you do not wish 
another lengthy search for new nests. Last year 
I had two lay within 20 feet of the kitchen door, and 
I was able to gather over 100 eggs from the nest 
before they became disturbed and sought new quar¬ 
ters. Previously I had been able to induce them 
to lay in the henhouses, but last season I was ill 
at the time laying commenced, so they did not have 
the watchful, careful, handling those previous had 
had. A fairly dark, selected nest and little dis¬ 
turbance usually is all that is required to induce 
them to lay in the houses, that is provided, of 
course, it has been their accustomed lodging and 
feeding place. I never allow them to roost out; 
begin when they are very small and compel them to 
most in the houses at night. This is a comparative¬ 
ly easy matter provided they are hen-hatched—not 
guinea hen, but common hen, for the guinea hen 
makes a very poor mother. Some claim she also is 
a poor sitter, but in this I find the reverse, for she 
closely keeps her nest and spitefuly resists any in¬ 
terference. 
HATCHING DIFFICULTIES.—It is interesting 
to note her methods of brooding her eggs, for she 
differs from the common hen in the fact that she 
extends and spreads her wings between the eggs and 
the nest, thus hugging them close to her body. If 
left to her own devices she will lay a clutch of 20— 
seldom varies—then become broody unless the eggs 
are removed. As soon as the little ones begin to 
hatch she becomes restless, and will leave the nest 
with those able to follow, leaving the rest of the 
eggs; and her wanderlust means the destruction of 
the rest of her little brood. A quiet old hen is far 
better as an adopted mother. She will cover from 
1(> to 20. according to her size of course. The period 
of incubation ranges from 28 to 30 days and the 
best nesting seems to be on the ground, where there 
is natural moisture. The little keets, as they are 
in some localities called, are quite tiny when first 
hatched—in fact about the size of baby partridges, 
which the pearl variety resemble very much in size 
and shape. Color is dark brown with a little lighter 
shade on the wings, and white predominates on the 
under part of the body. At this stage the sex of the 
above variety is distinguishable as the plain brown 
denotes the female while the little stripes on the 
head denote the opposite sex. In the white breed 
this is impossible of course. It is well at this stage 
to toe-mark for sex in the former breed. The little 
fellows are exceedingly active as soon 
as they are out of the shell, and the 
nest must be so constructed to prevent 
their escape. This means absolutely 
no spaces as large as your thumb even, 
and the sides must be at least a foot 
and a half high. Inch netting will not 
confine them. They are extremely 
susceptible to cold and dampness, and 
must be confined till a week old and 
then may be allowed out with the hen 
in the middle of pleasant days. They 
should not be allowed full liberty till 
first crop of feathers are out. As they 
are disposed 'to keep close to the 
mother till full grown their natural 
roving instinct is decidedly curbed by 
giving them to a quiet home-keeping 
hen. Also from her they adopt the 
habit of henhouse roosts instead of 
trees. A four-year-old Wyandotte, 
when on range, is always accompanied 
by at least six full-grown guineas of 
different ages which she reared, and 
has not yet been able to wean, though 
some of them are two years old. A 
pompous young cockerel was forcibly 
adopted by an orphan brood of 12 last 
Spring, and they compelled him to 
brood them much to his disgust, and 
the few remaining of the flock still fol¬ 
low him. 
SELECTING STOCK.—Off and on I 
see various methods disclosed for tell¬ 
ing the sex but actually I find there is 
nothing really as dependable as the 
call. To be sure the male is usually larger and his 
gills larger and more drooping than the female, 
whose gills as a rule lie close back toward the 
angle of the throat. My experience lias not proved 
this distinction always true to sex. The cries, 
though, differ decidedly, that of the male being a 
discordant shriek or scold, while the female has a 
peculiar call which can be translated into “buck¬ 
wheat, buckwheat,” or frequently, “come back, come 
back,” though I have often heard them predict 
storms in “more rain, more rain.” Close observa¬ 
tion is the only means of determining. I once pur¬ 
chased a fine male to mate a female—that is, I 
trusted to outward appearance such to be the fact_ 
but later decided I had two Romeos instead of a 
Romeo and Juliet. This matter of new stock is a 
question of personal preference. The eggs, if pro¬ 
curable iu the near vicinity, are perhaps the best 
method, though I find their hatching qualities are 
more or less disturbed by being shaken by long 
travel. The homing instinct of the adult is very 
strong, and if a change of roosting is made close 
confinement for several days will be necessary. No 
fence procurable will confine them, for they can fly 
nearly as well as the “bird man.” One clipped wing 
and a four-foot fence though is usually successful. 
In uniting, if eggs are not cared for, hatching sev- 
