Marketing

The marketing season for guinea fowl is during the latter part of the summer and throughout the fall. At this time the demand in the city markets is for young birds weighing from 1 to 2 pounds each. At about 2¹⁄₂ months of age guineas weigh from 1 to 1¹⁄₂ pounds, and at this size they begin reaching the markets in August. As the season advances the demand is for heavier birds. During the fall of 1916 New York wholesale quotations for dressed guineas were as follows:

Sept. 1, guineas, spring, 2 pounds to pair, per pair	$1.00
Sept. 1, guineas, spring, 2¹⁄₂ to 3 pounds to pair, per pair	$1.25 to 1.37	¹⁄₂
Oct. 1, guineas, spring, 2 pounds to pair, per pair	1.00
Oct. 1, guineas, spring, 3 to 4 pounds to pair, per pair	1.25 to 1.50
Nov. 1, guineas, spring, 2 pounds to pair, per pair	.75 to 1.00
Nov. 1, guineas, spring, 3 to 4 pounds to pair, per pair	1.50 to 1.75

The usual practice in marketing game birds is to place them on the market unplucked, and in most markets guineas are sold in this way (see [fig. 5]). They look more attractive with the feathers on and sell more readily. When dressed the small size and dark color of the guinea are likely to prejudice the prospective customer, who may be unfamiliar with the bird’s excellent eating qualities. For hotel and restaurant trade, however, guineas should be dressed in the same way as common fowl. Before shipping any birds to a market, it is advisable to inquire of the dealer to whom they are to be shipped whether the feathers should be removed.

Fig. 5.—Guinea fowl usually are marketed unplucked, except for hotel and restaurant trade, for which they are dressed like ordinary fowl.

If the guineas are to be marketed with the feathers on, all that should be done is to bleed them by severing the vein in the roof of the mouth, allowing them to hang head downward until bleeding is complete. If the feathers are to be removed, this should be done by dry picking. The vein in the roof of the mouth is severed first to insure thorough bleeding, and the knife then thrust through the groove in the roof of the mouth into the brain. When the brain is pierced the feathers are loosened by a convulsive movement of the muscles and can be removed easily.