Homestead Squab and Guinea Production

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Now and then it will be necessary for the pigeon fancier to maintain a few squabs for replacements, or he may wish to increase his number of pairs (as we did) and will want to save some of the young. This is no problem for the adults will continue to feed the young until they voluntarily leave the nest and begin to eat by themselves. It is wise to keep squabs from the best producers in the flock and to mark them with leg bands while they are still in the nest. It must also be remembered that usually one of the pair of squabs is larger than the other and that the larger one is usually the male. If, then, the larger is marked with one colored band and the smaller with another, the final determination of sex is often facilitated.

Should the country dweller produce more squabs than he requires for his personal use he will soon discover that there is a very good market for his surplus. Many pigeon fanciers have developed an excellent local trade for both squabs and breeding-age stock, and the disposal of surplus stock is usually a simple matter.

Guinea Fowl

Guinea fowl have been successfully raised on many small establishments and although they have several disadvantages, they are interesting to produce and we have always maintained a few of these handsome birds. They are often served as a substitute for game and although their meat is reasonably dark, they do have a distinctive flavor that has made them a favorite with many of discriminating taste.

It is true that they have a wild, harsh cry that some find objectionable, but they do act as excellent watchdogs for the barnyard, will fight off chicken hawks and will sound the alarm if intruders are present on the establishment. They are not as easy to rear as are chickens, ducks or geese, and they are often hard to catch. They are difficult to produce unless they have considerable freedom of range, yet once started they do very well with a minimum of care. In some sections of England they have been used as replacements for grouse, for after they have reverted to a wild state they make excellent game birds.

SPECIES OF GUINEA FOWL

There are several varieties of guinea fowl which derive their name from the country of Guinea, on the west coast of Africa. In their native country they are found in dozens of varieties. However, the domestic fowl found in the United States are the Pearl, White and Lavender, of which the Pearl seems the most popular.

BEGINNING WITH GUINEAS

Getting a start with guineas may prove quite a problem. It is often difficult to purchase adult birds, and it is usually equally difficult to find hatcheries that will supply day-old guineas. Yet the approach to guineas may again be classified into three categories, the choice of which will usually depend on availability: [1] purchase of day-old guineas; [2] purchase of adults ready to breed; [3] purchase of setting eggs for incubation under either chicken or turkey hens, or artificial incubators.

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