Growth performance and carcass characteristics of guinea fowl (ntunida mcleagris) fed diets containing three local grown cereals as energy sources raised under intensive system

Abstract

This study investigated growth performance and carcass characteristics of guinea fowl fed diets containing three local grown cereals as energy sources in comparison to commercial broiler diets (control). Birds were raised under intensive system from 3 to 16 weeks of age. In the first experiment a completely randomized design was used where 160 guinea fowl keets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments. Each dietary treatment had 40 birds with four replicates of 10 birds each. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The growth performance and parameters studied were feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), body length, body circumference, wing stretch, shank length and neck length. Data were analyzed using General Linear Model Procedure in Statistical Analysis Software (version 9.0). The results showed that dietary treatment did not (p>0.05) influence morphological parameters of growth and performance of guinea fowl at the same age. From 3 to 16 weeks of age FI was significantly (p<0.001) lower for birds on control diet (13714.79i209.65 g) than maize (16085±209.65 g), millet (1609.63±209.65 g) and sorghum (15872±209.65 g) diets while maize, millet and sorghum diets did not differ significantly. Similarly, FCR was significantly (p<0.001) lower for birds on control diet (11.33±0.37) than maize (13.91 ±0.37), millet (14.90±0.37) and sorghum (13.72±0.37) diets while the later diets did not differ significantly from each other. Average weekly BWG was significantly (p<0.05) lower for birds on millet diet (82.98±2.18 g) than birds on control (93.14i2.18 g), maize (89.25±2.18 g) and sorghum (89.03i2.I8 g) diets while the later treatments did not differ significantly from each other. In the second experiment carcass parameters of birds were evaluated. Parameters for carcass characteristics studied were dressed carcass weight, carcass yield, gizzard weight, heart weight, liver weight, drumstick weight, thigh weight, back weight, breast weight and wing weight. On average, 3 birds from each replicate (12 birds from each dietary treatment) were randomly selected and sacrificed in the abattoir at 6, 12 and 16 weeks of age for carcass evaluation. From 6 to 16 weeks of age guinea fowl on control diets had significantly (p<0.001) higher carcass dressed weight (707.08±10.94 g) than maize (686.50il0.94 g); millet (633.63il0.94 g) and sorghum (690.30± 10.94 g). Maize and sorghum diets did not differ significantly from each other. Dietary treatment had no significant (p>0.05) influence on guinea fowl carcass yield. Empty gizzard, heart, liver, drumstick, thigh, back and breast were significantly (p<0.001) influenced by dietary treatments. Generally, morphological parameters of growth and carcass characteristics significantly (p<0.001) increased with guinea fowl age. These results suggest that maize, sorghum or millet diets can be used in guinea fowl diets without affecting growth performance and carcass characteristics of guinea fowl. Further studies on the acceptance of meat by consumers and cost-benefit analysis of the dietary treatments should be conducted to complete comparison of locally available cereal grains and commercial feeds.