Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-09-28
Guinea Fowls.

Guinea Fowls
The guinea fowl is a native Of Africa
and has never outgrown its wild nature
enough to be closely confined, when bred
for domestic uses. The white and the
pearl are the two varieties most com
monty found in a domestic state. With
propriety the Guinea may be called the
watch dog of the poultry yard-ever
watchful and on the alert, it gives the
note of warning on the first approach Of
danger.
Aside from the warfare they wage
against various kinds of insect and YER
min pests of the farm, they cannot be
considered Of much pecun1ary profit to
the farm yard and often prevent the loss
approaching danger. Mrs. J. B. Howe,
in the Farmsrs' Reoie,c, gives a ''chat"
about them from which we take the
following:
The pearl or speckled guinea is rather
more wild in its habits than the white,
and delights in hiding its nest in some
lonely and sequestered spot, in which it
deposits large number of egg, it I'M
disturbed, but if the nest of eggs are
meddlcd with, it deserts the nest, and
seeks a new one. It's eggs require four
weeks to hatch, and the young have all
the shyness of young prairie chickens or
quails. The flesh of the speckled guinea
is dark colored and inclined to dryness.
On the other hand the white guinea is
quite domestic in its habits, especially
if reared by chicken hens, and in such
cases runs with the chickens and lays in
their nests, the same as the hens. They
never forget the hen that reared them,
FDlI
thin, until they are fully grown, and if
separated from her they show a marked
preference for hens of her color. It's
young is also shy and ten
der, until say a couple Of weeks old,
when, if handed properly, they become
as hardy as any OF the fowl tribe. For
the first week or two the young should
be fed upon coarse oat meal slightly
scalded and sailed, or crumbs of stale
bread soaked in milk curd, and maybe
little hard boiled egg. All food slightly
sailed and fed often. Gravel and green
tender stuff, such as lettuce, onion tops
and the like, should also be mixed with
the food. They should not be kept too
long confined. as their wild nature, like
that of the turkey, demands a certain
degree of freedom and liberty to search
for insects. The flesh Of the white
guinea unlike that of its speckled rela-
ton, is yellow and very tender and tooth
some. In color they are pure white, ex-
cept the head, which is red. The legs
are yellow. Guineas are very sprightly
and watchful fowls, spying a hawk,
skunk, weasel, or strange cat or
dog before any of the other fowls, and
setting up their peculiar din to brighten
the intruder and to give warning of his
approach. They also observe if any of
the fowls get beyond their accustomed
limits and fearlessly attack them and per-
sistently keep after them until the wrong
is righted. The white guinea, especially,
is very fine layer, almost rivaling the
Leghorns. They begin early and continue
on until many of the hens have stopped to
rest. They are quite interesting fowls,
and for many reasons amply repay the
pains required to rear them. Their odd
looks and voice, together with their pretty
plumaee, attract many admirers. The
male and female are similar in appear
ance and plumage, but are easily dis
tinguished by their different manner of
speaking. The hen calls in what has
often been said to resemble the cry OF
''buckwheat," while the male makes
sort of whining sound, all in one syllable
and with one intonation. Guineas grow
and mature rapidly and for broilers equal
young chickens.