The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-07-02

LIE TtlNEA 1ROFll A BILE
FOWL.
With the gradual disappearance OF
natural game birds there is growing
UP demand in the cities for do
mestic bird which has all the quail
ties Of the game bird in color and tex
ture Of the flesh and the game flavor
that epicures SO much delight in. We
refer TO the guinea fowl, which has
heretofore been kept more as an odd
bird than because there was any par
ticular profit in breeding it.
The guinea, as we know it, is but
one of many varieties, all Of which
originally come from Africa. The an
cient Romans were acquainted with
the guinea fowl, but there is good
reason for thinking that the guinea
fowl Of old Rome was one OF the
species found in eastern Africa, rather
than the native Of the west coast,
which is found in large numbers III
its native country, identical in shape
and color with the guinea OF our farm
yards.
Guneas are fowls that do best when
treated On the let-alone principle. They
have a natural inclination to wander
in the field and seek their own food.
If given wide range, such as they
can have on farm, they care little
for the feeds of domestication, wan
dering forth early and staying abroad
late, during all the year when they
can find seeds, green stuffs and
insects to eat.
In mating guineas, not more than
two hens should be allowed for one
cock, although occasionally a cock
will mate with more than this number.
Tn their natural state they mate in
pairs, but under domestication they
have broken away from the original
plan and accept more than one mate.
1t requires from twenty-six to TWEEN
ty-eight days to hatch guinea eggs,
and it is best to hatch them under
common hens.
When they are first Matched they
are as wild as quails, and will run
away and hide and finally become
lost if they are not confined in a pen
in which they cannot find hole out OF
which to creep; and they will find
the hole if it is there. A pen made
of foot wide boards will keep
them long enough so they will become
accustomed to the mother hen. Once
they get acquainted with their foster
mother and learn her language they
are very affectionate and will talk to
her as they follow her about, never
leaving her day or night. Indeed,
they stay with the hens all the season
and even through the winter.
Guineas are quite prolific layers,
hiding their nests in the fields as does
a turkey. unless they have been ac-
customed to sleeping in a house. IL
Matched with the hens they do not
have such wild dispositions and fire.
quently lay in the nests provided for
hens, until about the time when they
become broody, when they steal away
and lay clutch of eggs to hatch.
The young are quite tender for a
few days and should be fed little and
very often at first In short time
they become hardy, and after that
will endure any kind Of weather that
may come, even to sleeping out OF
doors in the coolest weather.
The eggs are small, but Of good
flavor, but there is no market demand
for them, and, except for home con-
sumption or for use in Matching
they are not valuable.
Guinea hens are not good mothers.
1t must be a very favorable season in
which a guinea hen will raise more
than a few of the young she matches.
AS a rule they wander about through
damp grass until the young are mostly
ost-Indianapolis News.