The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-15

fearful. distrustful They cost no board bill, but when old enough for | shipment are as wild as birds. They view traps with suspicion and are I bagged only by a sure shot. Their mother, having no convictions regard l ing damp feet, has gotten them up be- 1 times on deWy mornings in her ener- getic attention to the family larder, | and dragged them through dank grass. Daily the roll call shrinks and at mar keting time a small percentage re-
 mains. The remarkable fecundity of ] the fowl is scarcely equal to the in- roads of enemies and storms.
 Efficiency in Guinea Raising The efficient way of rearing the fowl | in profitable numbers begins as early as the middle of March, before an egg 1 is laid. if one must depend for brood- CTS upon the usual kind of guinea. The flock should be trained to frequent an orchard or nearby field This is done I by feeding them there scantily sev- eral times daily during March and | April. They will make their nests
 there under hedges, bushes, brush heaps or vines. Laying begins during middle or last of April. Nests can oft l en be located by observing gufneas that feed solidarity. The hen is laying nearby It is unwise to touch an egg till the hen becomes broody. There upon all eggs should be removed, pref erably during her absence. The empty nest "breaks" her disposition to sit. and she soon resumes laying, often in | the same nest If she has had no fright there. The eggs should be. given to
 staid sitting hens, such as Plymouth ! Rocks. 16 to each. Four weeks later, the little ones hustle out of their shells and. true to their heritage of fear, creep slinkingly into corners of the nest away from the explorations of the attendants hand. For the next three or four weeks the little chaps re- quire patient care. They seem stupid The hens mother call Is a foreign lan- guage they find hard to learn. When | once it is fixed. it is ineradicable. Guineas never forget their foster mother. Long after she has weaned them, sometimes for years, they play ! Damon to her Pythias. She finds their devotion embarrassing, and hides, but l seldom eludes their pertinacity Such 1 guineas make good breeders. They | roost in hen houses with the foster | mother and often lay there. Some times they can even be trusted to raise a brood of their own.
 Care of Young Guineas
 1 Until the little guinea and the hon 1 learn each other. it must not be al- | lowed to roam. The chicks need range which is best secured by inclosing the | hen in small coop and pen. The coop l should have an earthen floor, and the pen be grassy. After two or three weeks the guineas. then boasting we'll feathered wings. know the foster moth CTS "cluck." Then then graduate to ! the privilege of leaving the pen with ! the mother. After this they require nothing but water and three meals a l day.
 Besides green food, guineas must have shade from the hot sun, plenty of water to drink, grit and charcoal. They thrive on hard-boiled egg mixed with a | bran and meal mash or with fine | ground chick feed Owing to its in- sectivorous nature. it needs a large | proportion of animal food It is pos sible to raise a hundred or more in a { small orchard, but this need of theirs
 must be supplied During the first five
 weeks of their life guineas must be l fed at least four times daily. They | are ravenous little creatures; if al- 1 lowed to become too hungry. diges- ! tive troubles ruslt from their intern 1 perance. When they can spend their days roaming, coarser chick feed wheat, and. later, corn. are acceptable
 and they demand no other care. As
 soon as possible at this time they
 should be trained to roost in . house
 instead of a coop. since. like turkeys 1 air is a necessity.
 1 AS with other fowl precautions l against parasites are necessary. If the foster mother be dusted with insect powder and their quarters be clean there Is usually no trouble.
 l The trap nest Is the only absolute
 index to hens capacity for egg pro- 1 duction. but for those who are not in
 a position to trap their birds. there are characteristics to be observed which are almost as positive as the nest. and which if used intelligently will be of great value in building up
 a heavy laying strain. Next weeks
 article has to do with this subject