GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND EGG QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF LAYING GUINEA FOWL (NUMIDAMELEAGRIS) FED OYSTER SHELL AND BONE MEAL MIXTURES

Abstract

A total of 75 Pearl laying guinea fowls, aged 32 weeks old were used to determine the growth and egg production quality performance when fed oyster shell and bone meal mixture. The research was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.
The birds were divided into 5 treatment groups with 15 birds each of 3 birds per replication, in a completely randomized design. The birds were fed iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets and water ad libitum for 84 days. Bone meal and oyster shell were mixed in ratio 1:1 w/w and included in the
diets to supply calcium at 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0%, and 4.5%, designated as T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively. Data collected were subjected to one-way ANOVA statistical analysis at 5% probability (p<0.05) using SAS. Results showed that the average daily feed intake, egg weight and hen day included
production significantly influenced the growth performance. However, egg quality indices affected significantly egg length, egg width, albumen height, albumen width and yolk height. Best hen day production was observed for birds fed diet T3 while those on T1 had the highest values for egg length,
egg shell weight, egg shell thickness, albumen height, yolk height and yolk width. It is concluded that birds fed diet T3 have the highest hen day production. Further research should be carried out to come up with diet that can provide a combination of better growth performance and egg quality.