Local Guinea Fowl (<em>Numida meleagris</em>) Weight Performance under Improved Feeding System in the Central Region of Burkina Faso
The growth performance of 200 local guinea fowls (Numida meleagris) (97 females and 103 males) were studied in an improved feeding system. The hatching body weights were 25.8 ± 3.1 g in females and 25.5 ± 2.4 g in males. The body weights at inflexion points were 523.0 ± 171.4 g in females and 497.0...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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CIRAD
2008-02-01
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| Series: | Revue d’Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://revues.cirad.fr/index.php/REMVT/article/view/10000 |
| Summary: | The growth performance of 200 local guinea fowls (Numida meleagris) (97 females and 103 males) were studied in an improved feeding system. The hatching body weights were 25.8 ± 3.1 g in females and 25.5 ± 2.4 g in males. The body weights at inflexion points were 523.0 ± 171.4 g in females and 497.0 ± 134.7 g in males, and the asymptotic weights were 962.0 ± 147.8 g and 857.0 ± 183.7 g, respectively. The weights at inflexion points and the asymptotic weights varied significantly (p < 0.05) depending on the variety. The daily weight gains at inflexion points were 10.1 ± 4.7 g in females and 10.2 ± 5.1 g in males, occurring at 12-14 weeks and 14-16 weeks of age, respectively, i.e. the optimum slaughtering age for each sex was within these intervals. The general average growth rate was 29.2 ± 16.8% for both sexes (30.0 ± 18.0% in females and 28.4 ± 15.9% in males). The carcass yield increased from 65.7% at 16 weeks to 74.3% at 22 weeks, and dropped to 70.4% at 56 weeks. The feed conversion ratio was 4.6 from 0 to 16 weeks in all the birds. |
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| ISSN: | 0035-1865 1951-6711 |