Abstract
The effect of genetic grade (strain) on body weight and body linear measurements of the pure grade dual purpose French guinea fowl strain (116 birds) and their mixed genetic grade (32 birds) was determined using a linear mathematical model. Birds were raised under intensive system in Katsina state. Loss in vigour of the pure grade dual purpose French guinea fowl was calculated by difference. There was a significant (P < 0.05) effect of strain (genetic grade) on body weight and body linear measurements. The pure grade dual purpose French guinea fowl cocks and hens had significantly higher body weight and most body linear measurements than counterpart dual purpose mixed genetic grade guinea fowl cocks and hens. The pure grade dual purpose French guinea fowl cocks and hens had lower coefficients of variation (7.76 and 9.60 %) than the dual purpose guinea fowl cocks and hen mixed genetic grades (13.11 and 13.54 %). The dual purpose mixed genetic grade guinea fowl cocks and hens had longer helmet length than counterpart pure grade dual purpose French guinea cocks and hens. Strain (genetic grade) had no effect on tail length of guinea hens. There were high loss of vigour (56.25 and 57.69 %) of helmet thickness followed by (28.82 and 37.38 %) for body weight of the dual purpose French guinea fowl cocks and hens. Body length (3.76 and 0.56 %) and thigh length (4.22 and 1.85 %) respectively for guinea fowl cocks and hens, were the morphometric traits that had the lowest reduction in vigour among all quantitative traits evaluated. The dual purpose French guinea fowl and their mixed genetic grade had higher body weight than counterpart local guinea fowl strains. Introduction of the dual purpose French guinea fowl into the tropics can aid the diversification of rural poultry production.
Highlights
The common sources of egg and meat are the layer and the broiler chickens whose production environment and managements needs are expensive as well as the needs for professional expertise [1]
P-Value 0.000 0.01 0.000 0.251 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 a b= means with different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05) due to strain effect on BLM within a sex ChC= chest circumference, BoL= body length, ShL= shank length, ThL= thigh length, Nkl= neck length, KL= keel length, WnS= wing span, WtL= wattle length, BkL=beak length, HdL= head length, HeL =helmet length, HeT =helmet thickness, TaL= tail length, dual purpose French guinea fowls (DPFG) = Dual purpose French guinea fowl, DMFG = Dual purpose mixed genetic grade, BLM = Body linear measurement
Higher body weight of the DPFG over the DMFG could be due to genetic superiority and high vigour for body weight of the DPFG compared to the DMFG that would lose half of the vigour at every generation of crossbreeding the commercial line
Summary
The common sources of egg and meat are the layer and the broiler chickens whose production environment and managements needs are expensive as well as the needs for professional expertise [1]. Prevalent cases of animal protein deficiency are common among most rural populaces [2] who don’t have sufficient economics for improved standard of living. The dual purpose French guinea fowl strain, owing to its genetic credibility for meat and egg production would be an appropriate choice. Information on body biometry evaluation of the dual purpose French guinea fowl strain and their mixed genetic grade under semi-arid climate will be a useful guide towards its introduction into other zones of Nigeria to diversify poultry production for alleviation of protein deficiency and poverty among the rural and the urban populace in Nigeria. The study was designed to evaluate body weight and body linear measurements of the dual purpose French guinea fowls and their mixed genetic grade with respect to its potential for introduction into the southern guinea savannah of Nigeria.
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