GUINEA FOWL. The guinea fowl, a native of Africa but now found in nearly every part of the world, is, compared with the "chicken," a new arrival in the poul try yard. It belongs to the same natural order, Gallinae, as the common domestic fowl. It was raised as a table bird by the ancient Romans, but later was apparently entirely overlooked, not coming into vogue again for centuries. It is not as thoroughly domesticated as some other kinds of poultry, but both supply and demand, particularly for high class trade, have been steadily increasing of late years. Its popularity is due both to the excellent quality of its flesh, especially in young and caponized birds, and to its slightly "gamey" taste, resembling somewhat that of the partridge. It serves as an acceptable substitute for game when that is unobtainable or out of season.
The "Pearl" guinea fowl, the most common poultry type, has purplish-grey plumage evenly dotted with white, the ears and sides of the head white, the helmet horn-colored, sometimes replaced by a crest of feathers, the face and neck bare, the wattles bright red and the legs reddish-yellow. The "White" guinea fowl is another highly prized bird and some judges claim superiority for crosses between the "Pearl" and "White" varieties.
In general appearance the guinea fowl retains nearly all the characteristics of the wild bird, the only marked difference being the change of the legs from dull-grey or brown to reddish-yellow.
The birds are of marketable size commencing with the early autumn, the usual age being from five to eight months. A "Squab Guinea" should weigh from three
quarters of a pound up to one and a quarter pounds; a "Guinea Chick" from one and a half to two and a quarter pounds.
They are generally sold, like game birds, unplucked or with only the breast feathers removed, their handsome plumage making them conspicuously attractive. As their feather coats are very thick, this method also makes them appear larger than they really are.
The tests for age given in the article on POULTRY apply to the guinea fowl, except that a purplish breast is to be expected. The breast meat is lighter in color than that of other parts of the body, but the flesh throughout is darker than that of chicken. Good market birds should have full breasts and fleshy limbs.
The birds may be cooked and served in almost any way employed for poultry or game birds of similar age and size. The food value is about the same as that of chicken. Boiled cereals, such as "hominy," are an acceptable accompaniment in place of potatoes.
Many connoisseurs allow the guinea fowl to hang for some days until just before the moment of "turning" in order to accentuate the gamey flavor.
Guinea fowl eggs—rounder than hen's eggs and about half the size—are not gen erally appreciated by the American consumer, but they are highly esteemed in Europe, where they are classed as little inferior to the very delicate eggs of the plover.