This study was carried out to estimate and evaluate the growth performance and carcass yield of the black and pearl guinea fowl and their crosses. The following three mating groups were established: Pearl male X Pearl female (PXP), Black male X Black female (BXB) and Black male X Pearl female (BXP), from which a total of 317 guinea fowl keets were obtained in six hatches and used for the study. There were 100 PXP, 118 BXB and 99 BXP keets. Growth parameters estimated were body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Carcass traits studied include live weight at point of slaughter, slaughter weight, dressed weight and dressing percentage. Carcass traits were taken at 14 weeks of age. All the growth performance traits …show more content…
Means with significant difference were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (Duncan, 1955). RESULTS Growth performance of the three genotypes of guinea fowl: Results of the growth performance of the three genotypes of guinea fowl are presented in Table1. All the growth performance traits studied did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) across the genotype groups, except body weight at 10, 12 and 14 weeks of age. Birds of the PXP genotype exhibited the highest numerical body weight from 2- 14 weeks of age, though they had the least day old body weight (24.88g). They were however significantly different (P < 0.05) at 10-14 weeks old from the other two genotype groups. The PXP genotype similarly manifested a higher body weight gain from Table 1: Mean growth performance of three genotypes of guinea fowl Weeks Parameter Genotypes SEM P × P B × B B×P Wk2 Body weight (g) 100.79 97.62 99.91 2.40 Body weight gain (g/bird) 75.96 71.92 73.22 2.35 2-weekly feed intake (g/bird) 203.17 203.17 203.17 …show more content…
Saina (2005), on the other hand, reported average daily weight gain of 8g in guinea fowls kept under intensive system of management, which is similar to the results of the present study. The author however, obtained higher average daily weight gain of 12.3g for guinea fowls raised under the semi-extensive system of management. Nobo et al. (2012) reported average daily weight gain of 12.8-13.8g in guinea fowls raised under intensive system of