The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-10-10
GuinPa Fowls.

The guinea fowl is q 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 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 pecunlary profit to
the farmer. They are an ornament to
the farm yard and often prevent the loss
of other poultry, by giving the alarm of
approaching danger. Mrs. j. Il. Howe,
in the FdrmerS' Regien, 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, il un-
disturbed, but if the nest of eggs are
meddled with, it deserts the nest, and
seeks new one. Its 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,
but will follow her through thick and
thin, until they are fully grown, and if
separated from her they show marked
preference for hens of her color. Its
young is also shy and ten
der, until say couple of weeks old,
whom, 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 salted, or crumbs of stale
bread soaked in milk curd, and maybe a
little hard boiled egg. All food slightly
salted 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
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 watch'ul fowls, spying a hawk,
skunk, weasel, or strange cat oil
dog before any OF the other fowls, and
setting up their peculiar din to frighten
the intruder and to give warning of hi'
approach. They also observe if any o.
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 a very fine layer, almost riyaling tn,
/ Leghorns. They begin early and continue
| on until many of the hens have stopped tC
rest. They are quite interesting fowls
and for many reasons amply repay thl
pains required to rear them. Their ode
| looks and voice, together with their prett,
/ plumage, attract many admirers. Thl
male and female are similar in appear
ance and plumage, but are easily dis
tinguished by their different manner o
speaking. The hen calls in what ha
often been said to resemble the cry o
"buckwheat, while the male makes
sort of whining sound, all in one syllabl
and with one intonation. Guineas grow
and mature rapidly and for broilers eaua
young chickens.