> Has anyone ever observed guinea fowl that were actually raised by
> parent guinea fowl? I wonder if they are so apparently dumb because
> they are missing the transference of guinea fowl culture (as in, how
> dumb would human babies grow up to be if they were raised without
> human adults or access to human culture)/ At least this might be one
> explanation of their apparent idiocy. How do these birds survive the
> predators in their native Africa? They sure don't last very long on
> our farm in Virginia (though we do have two who have been around for
> several years while others have come and eventually been eaten by
> various predators.
>
When I was a child, I hunted these birds a lot (the real wild ones - the
domesticated ones are somewhat different, I believe, plumper, less wild and
wild-tasting - and probably less street smart - or bush wise - too). The
first time you ambush them somewhere, you can shoot a lot before they flee
(if they don't see you, of course). Then it is so easy, it is a matter of
pride to go only for head shots. But after a few times, they wizen up and
you have to devise a new strategy. Of course, they travel in huge flocks in
the wild. Nowadays, they're returning to the cities, and you sometimes hear
them in places. You also often see them grazing along the roads and
highways - never saw a roadkill one, though - they got clever in that
respect. (They love lucerne/alfalfa - always came for a late afternoon snack
in the lucerne fields.) Great tasting, although wild - but you have to ripen
them, else tough as nails.
christo
