Abstrato

Assessment of external egg characteristics and production indices of the dual purpose French guinea fowl under semi-arid conditions in Nigeria.

Gwaza DS, Elkanah H

A total of fifty one (51) dual purpose French guinea hens were managed intensively on deep litter under the semi-arid weather condition. Data were collected on external egg measurements and daily egg production during the first phase of production before the birds exhibited broodiness. Data were analyzed to measure egg production indices. The average egg length (5.16 ± 0.02 cm), egg width (4.01 ± 0.01), egg shape index (77.82 ± 0.18%) and egg weigh (53.63 ± 0.15 g.) were obtained. There was a significant (P<0.01) correlation between egg weight and egg length (0.879), egg weight and egg width (0.676), egg length and egg width (0.712) and between egg width and egg shape index (0.322). Negative correlations were observed between egg weight and egg shape index (-0.314), egg length and egg shape index (-0.434). The average daily egg, hen day production and hen house production were 26.71 ± 0.35 eggs, 51.39 ± 0.65% and 50.40 ± 2.24% respectively. The mean weekly egg number, hen day rate and hen house production reach their peaks at the third week of production, 46.57 ± 0.78 eggs and 87.87 ± 1.48% and 87.87 ± 1.48%, respectively. Mean weekly egg number and hen day rate begin to decline at week five, eight, nine, twelve, thirteen and fourteen but hen house production decreases from the peak immediately at week four of lay and continued steadily up to week fourteen.