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Thank-you to everybody who commented on the Collapse Library post. Thank-you for the thought you put into your selections and thank-you for adding a short bit of explanation of why it was important to you.
Gooseberry Pie
Southern Belle found the recipe that she used for our gooseberry pie at a site called BlackberryBabe.com
Guineafowl
One of the thinking-tools I use as I consider tough times is to study how people in extreme climates, or in places where they are exposed to other, dire stresses, survive. Another tool is to study cultures that thrive in a wide range of climates.
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| Hooded Guineafowl range. Blue is native, orange is introduced. |
The tireless Lucas Machias sent me an article about Africa's Guineafowl that was interesting for those very reasons.
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| Roughly 5.5 million square-miles |
While Africa is not know for extreme cold, it is notable for extreme heat, dryness, predators and poor soil fertility. It is also deceptively large since Mercator Projection makes Greenland (836,000 square-miles) seem larger than Africa (8,300,000 square miles).
Some key findings
The evidence we gathered shows that the guineafowl did not form bigger groups when temperatures dropped. There was no evidence they huddled together to stay warm. Even at night, when they roosted in trees, they perched in small family units – just two or three birds per branch.
During the dry winter months, when seeds and vegetation are scarce, the birds form large foraging flocks to help find food and stay safe from predators. More eyes mean better chances of spotting danger. This supports the widely recognised “many eyes” hypothesis, which shows that individuals in larger groups benefit from improved predator detection. But once the rains return and food becomes more plentiful and spread out, the guineafowl split into pairs or small groups to focus on breeding.
While group size wasn’t tied to temperature, the birds used clever body postures to handle both heat and cold. On chilly mornings below 17°C, they puffed out their collar feathers and tucked their bare necks deep into their bodies, creating a rounded, fluffy ball that trapped heat...
Another surprise was how rarely the birds drank water. Despite living in a dry environment, only about 2% of observed guineafowl visits were to the waterhole. In wet seasons, they likely get most of their moisture from eating green plants and insects. In the cold, dry season, when food is drier, drinking increased slightly, but still far less than expected.
They drank even less when it was both hot and windy, possibly because the noise of the wind makes it harder to detect predators when standing out in the open. Avoiding water during hot periods is usual among helmeted guineafowl, which typically avoid exposing themselves during peak heat due to increased predation risk and the physiological stress of extreme temperatures.
I found the article to be delightful. I also appreciate the language "...this supports the hypothesis" rather than the more common "...this happened because of fill-in-blank"
There are lessons to be gleaned from this article.
Interesting ERJ. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for running the book list. I always find it interesting what other people recommend in that regard.
Mom and Dad had a flock. Guineas used to be a common part of a country home's resources. They require little care, provide tasty meat.
ReplyDeleteAlas, the proliferation of coyotes and the gentrification of the countryside makes them relatively rare these days.
Guineafowl are real badasses. A Great Horned owl took up residence at an abandoned farm a couple miles down the road from me and the owner wanted it gone. He released a pair of guineas and it soon moved on.
ReplyDeleteRe: the Collapse Library
I guess it should contain what we don't know about. For me that would be human medical care instructions. I fancy myself a real "country boy can survive" in many areas, but on that topic I could use some guidance.
We should also consider that the library will be handed down and should therefore be broad in scope. And of course the Bible should always be first. Thank you for reminding us.
Years ago, I had some guineas and I hatched a bunch of eggs for my uncle. For my guineas, I always used to throw them some millet seed as a treat and whistle to call them.
ReplyDeleteAfter hatching a couple dozen for my uncle, I got tired of the constant racket guineas make, so the guineas were given to my uncle. For years after that, I could go over to my uncle's and call all those guineas with a whistle. They could be hundreds of yards away and if one of them heard me they'd answer back and they'd all come.
Besides that little trick, I don't think I'd recommend getting guineas.
For those not familiar with guinea meat, it's dark meat like a pheasant. It doesn't need to be plucked like a chicken or turkey. You just skin it like a pheasant. Couldn't be easier. If you prefer the legs and thighs on chicken and turkey, you will love guinea.
ReplyDelete+1 Rich. Guineas make excellent alarm creatures but are annoying at the level of peacocks.
ReplyDelete