Be Fair To This Fowl

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Unless you've owned a flock yourself, chances are you'll need some persuasion before you can . . .

An Introduction to Guineas

If you've ever taken a leisurely evening drive down what you thought was a blissfully deserted country road, only to have your solitude dramatically interrupted by what appeared to be a crazed flock of screaming, tailless mini-turkeys descending upon your car from out of nowhere, then you may have concluded that you never wish to see (or hear!) a guinea fowl again.

However, if you were to raise your own flock, you'd more likely than not come to adore—rather than detest—these wacky birds. Their caterwauling would soon be music to your ears, since the cacophonous sounds would let you rest secure in the knowledge that your faithful feathered "watchdogs" were hard at work alerting you to any approaching strangers . . . human or animal.

What's more, this turkeylike fowl is one of the most efficient natural pest controls imaginable. If given the freedom of your yard and garden (and, because they're typically somewhat wild, guineas need to be allowed to range), they'll consume mosquitoes, chiggers, grasshoppers, and Japanese beetles . . . to mention only a few of their favorite morsels. Better still, these birds won't scratch up your garden or devour your young greenery, as chickens often do. Your vegetation is quite safe when you put guineas on garden patrol.

Furthermore, besides serving guard and insect-control duty, guinea fowl can supply their owners with food. Their eggs, although small, are quite tasty . . . and (as a final benefit) the birds themselves can be served up in delicious meals.

COLOR COORDINATES

Since first being domesticated in Guinea (on the western coast of Africa), the unusual fowl have been bred to produce several different color-determined varieties. The most prevalent of these—in the United States, at least—are pearl grays, white Africans, and lavenders.

The pearls and lavenders are speckled with white (although the so-called "lavender" is such a light shade that the birds sometimes appear to be all white). When two varieties are crossbred, the offspring are called "splashed" birds . . . and often have white breast and flight feathers.

Should you decide to buy guineas, you may not be able to choose a specific color . . . because any nearby flocks are likely to be made up chiefly of crossbreeds. However, since hue has nothing to do with the quality of the bird, it shouldn't make much difference which type you buy. Of course, it's possible to order keets (the correct term for baby guineas) by mail from major poultry farms throughout the country . . . but to do so, you'll probably have to purchase them in quantities of 25 or more (which may well be more than you'll need or want). For example, Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s 1982 farm and ranch catalog offers pearls at the rate of 25 keets for $49 and 50 for $83.