Guinea Fowl article borrowed from Homestead.org

Guinea Fowl: Something Different in the Garden by Victoria Varga
An exotic and perhaps odd-looking breed of poultry, the Guinea Fowl, is fast becoming not just the friend of the poultry farmer, but a friend of the avid gardener as well. These solid colored birds, weighing in at no more than 4 ½ pounds apiece, hail from the Sub-Saharan regions of West Africa. The domestic, modern stock has originated from the wild breed of Guinea Fowl (‘nuneda meagris’), found as far south as the Eastern Cape Horn Regions of W. Africa. These domesticated fowl are found now in every region of the world. These unusual birds are quite interesting in that their increasing role on the farm has taken on many purposes in today’s diversified livestock community. In addition to egg- laying and breeding stock production, one of the foremost uses for these animals today is for pest and rodent control. Guinea fowl, both male and female, are particularly adept at rooting out vermin such as mice and rats, and are even known to chase down and kill snakes. As well as keeping pests out of their environment, Guinea Fowl have been incredibly successful at ridding forested properties/farms of many types of bugs, particularly the deadly Deer Tick, which can carry Lyme Disease resulting in paralysis and death amongst other forms of livestock. This purpose in particular, has given the Guinea Fowl a widespread and excellent reputation, allowing the breed to rise above its former meat production-only function. Although raised for meat and considered a delicacy in Europe, the Guinea Fowl seems to, through their display of intelligence and multifunction, have risen above the stature of ‘meat-bird’. These normally docile but alert birds have a surprisingly acute awareness of predators within their habitats, and will alert the farmer to any henhouse intrusion, day or night. A distinct and rather operatic call will be sounded upon any strange intrusion. Many Guinea Fowl breeders will attest to their “watchdogs’” ability of being able to distinguish between family members and strange and unfamiliar faces. Guinea Fowl have been used for both pest control and as farm ‘watchdogs’ for decades now, and one of their relatively newer uses has been to the gardener and small crop grower. Guinea Fowl have proven most successful in organically controlling pests by eating most bugs in the garden, while leaving the green foliage virtually untouched. This has garnered the Guinea Fowl not just the praise and welcome of the farmer, but that of the gardener as well. Slugs, bugs, and other thugs are their specialty and Guinea Fowl have demonstrated once again, their versatility and ability to earn a reputation of wonderful uses. Guinea Fowl can be kept either free-ranged, or free-run in the company of other poultry. They will usually group together if more than one of them are kept, even in a henhouse/run situation. Females often select their mate and then remain steadfast companions until death or separation. Males tend to be more vocal than females, making a sound that is described as the world “buckwheat”. Both the male and female are very similar in stature, and distinction. The only difference lies in the male possessing a slightly larger red appendage on his head; at first sight, males and females are difficult to distinguish apart from one another. Guinea Fowl today come in a variety of colors, and Guinea Fowl breeders and enthusiasts are always breeding and looking for the newest genetic colorations. Their plumage is almost solid in color, with fine dappling of white or cream specks. Variations in overall color range from browns, blues, violets, creams, whites, grays and charcoals. Chicks are called “keets” and can be hatched as with other fowl, by a reliable incubator, by Bantam mothe,r or a sitting hen of another variety. Their eggs are small, like the Bantam variety, and are hatched out in the standard 28-day cycle akin to other chickens. The suggested grower feed for the little keets is a medicated Pheasant/Turkey starter, and precautionary care with regard to warmth, drafts, and a dry environment as with other young birds is imperative. Keets display themselves as very alert and hardy and seem to develop independence much more quickly than other chicks. If you are interested in keeping something a bit different in the coop, & would like to eradicate the possibility of ticks and other harmful pests in the farmyard or garden, perhaps a pair of Guinea Fowl would be a successful addition to your own spread. Guinea Fowl will certainly be a conversational addition to any farm, and with their many successful uses around a country acreage, should result in being a hard-working member of the farm operation team.

My Grandmother's Recipes

More family recipes:

Info: Grandmother's recipes were written as she explained how to make my childhood favorites. This is my paternal grandmother, Louise Parsons Blankenship's exact words as given to me over the phone after I was married and missing her delicacies. I added some measurements (my experiment) as she sometimes forgot to give them to me...She passed away a few years ago and I miss her very much.

Grandmother's Ice Box Rolls

1 package yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water

Dissolve until bubbly


1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups warm water
1 1/4 tsp salt
5-6 cups all purpose flour

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add warm water and salt. Add yeast mixture and add flour to right thickness. Roll out on floured surface. Divide into balls and place in refrigerator.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.


Grandmother's Fried Apple or Peach Pies

Need: all purpose four, wax paper, biscuit dough and wash pan full of apples or peaches

Stew wash pan full of peeled and cored peaches or apples in water adding 1 cup sugar and 1 TBS cinnamon
Roll out biscuit dough on floured surface. Cut into squares 4 inches by 4 inches or so. Stuff biscuit dough with filling and fold over, closing with fork. Fry in hot oil using cast iron skillet. Top with powdered sugar.

Grandmother's Tea Cakes

2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
1 fresh egg
3/4 c butter
3 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar together first and add egg, salt and vanilla. Sift together flour and baking powder separately and add to butter and sugar mixture a little at a time. Add milk as needed and roll into one inch thickness. Bake at 350 degrees until done.


Grandmother's Pie Crust

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 c cold water
1/2 c crisco or butter

Mix together and roll out on floured surface.

Family Recipes

Per a request for my brown sugar pound cake, I've decided to post a few of our family's family recipes. These recipes are handed down from past generations. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Pound Cake
By: Aunt Carole

2 sticks of unsalted butter
1/2 c crisco
5 cups brown sugar
5 whole fresh eggs
3 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt or 1/4 tsp
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter, crisco and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Sift together all dry ingredients. Add alternately the dry ingredients and milk, starting and ending with flour. Beat fast and hard. Add vanilla. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees.
Note: It will need to sit in the cake pan on a rack for about 20 minutes before you flip it to cool. If you flip too early it will separate. This particular cake will be dark brown if you use dark brown sugar.

Topping

You can top this cake with simple powdered sugar or a pecan/vanilla topping as follows:

1/2 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 TBS milk
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 c powdered sugar

Mix together well and pour on top of hot cake.


Holt House Monday Night Meat Loaf
by: Aunt Carole

1 or 2 lbs of extra lean ground beef or bison
1 TBS garlic salt
1 onion chopped
2 TBS worcestershire sauce
1 chopped large red bell pepper
12 to 15 saltines processed or chrushed
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with large spatula or the old fashioned way by hand. Place in a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cover with ketchup or other preferred sauce.

Granny's Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 to 2 cups graham crackers
1 stick of butter
1 TBS cinnamon
1/4 sugar

Cake:

2 16 oz Philly Cream Cheese boxes softened
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks

To make crust: melt butter and combine in a large bowl all ingredients. Press into 9 x 13 pyrex dish. Chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix softened cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add half and half and whipping cream. Increase speed, adding sugar and vanilla. Beat eggs separately and add add to cream cheese mixture. Pour into chilled crust. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cake sit for 20 minutes before serving.

MeMaw's Banana Pudding
Large Batch

4 or 5 ripe bananas
1 large box Nilla Wafers
1 large container Cool Whip
1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1 16 oz sour cream
3 cups cold milk

In an extra large bowl layer bananas and wafers, filling bowl at least 1/2 full. In a mixing bowl, prepare vanilla pudding as box directs. Fold in sour cream and mix well. Remove from mixer and add cool whip, mixing by hand until thoroughly combined. Pour over bananas and wafers. Place inside fridge until ready to serve.

Family Time

How the time flies as our children grow. This past Memorial Day, our family stepped out to visit a local historic park and had a nice meal together. We started the day picking green beans together. Not everyone was happy about rising at 6 a.m. on a holiday, but we got to the job and were able to continue a day spent together.

It occurred to me as we went about our day together, (all five of us as our eldest daughter was able to get away from her busy schedule and spend the time), this time will be remembered. I consider this a blessing.

Even when our teens get antsy about not being able to be with their friends or rather "special friends," it is important to be adamant about taking time together as a family. Teens (mine especially) have a tendency to only think of themselves and what's important to them at the time. Keeping them mindful of the significance of being with family and how seldom (we five) are having fun for a whole day, isn't easy. It's like a mini vacation in our home town. Once my children "get over" having to do what we ask, they lighten up and enjoy themselves, saying they had fun.

Please don't misunderstand! My girls enjoy our family outings but when their previous plans don't happen because of parental veto--it can get rough!

Time together when the children get older becomes fewer...but when it happens it is a delight. Listening to the small talk and teasing amongst the three of them is amusing. Watching them explore and play together makes me giggle as I did when they were toddlers. We can still see them as young children from time to time. Expressions from that little girl in braids I used to see everyday reappears when the stress of school and work goes away. I get to see what beautiful, unique and extraordinary people they are. I look at my husband and I pause...It presses me to believe...as unbelievable as it is...God has blessed me with these.