MORPHOLOGICAL AND PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF HELMETED GUINEA FOWL (Numida meleagris) IN NIGERIA: A REVIEW

Authors

  • N. M. Galadima College of Agriculture, Dambatta
  • I. O. Suleiman Bayero University, Kano.
  • I. Tahir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
  • Z. A. Dankoli Bayero University, Kano.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.7781

Keywords:

Guinea fowl, traits, egg production, egg quality, hatchability

Abstract

The study was conducted to review the morphological and production characteristics of helmeted guinea fowl in Nigeria. Reproductive and production traits which include mating and mating ratio, egg production and egg quality, characteristics composition and hatchability of eggs, as well as morphological traits such as body weight (BW), body length (BL), neck length (NL), wing length (WL), shank length (SL), thigh length (TL), keel length (KL) as well as chest circumference (CC) were reviewed. The BW and BL of guinea fowl ranged between 1.42kg and 1.60kg and 22.42cm and 41.75cm, respectively, while the CC varied from 35.37cm to 39.34cm. The WL, NL, SL, TL and KL varied from 19.34cm and 22.97cm, 17.03cm and 19.02cm, 7.73cm and 9.03, 11.87cm and 13.82, 2.80cm and 12cm, respectively. It was also understood that, guinea fowl stock if carefully managed, may lay 100 or more eggs in a year. Conclusively, the review found that guinea fowl has reasonable body weight and performed averagely in terms of egg and meat production compared to other domestic chickens. However, it is recommended that more work should be carried out to improve the genetic performance of the bird.

Author Biographies

N. M. Galadima, College of Agriculture, Dambatta

Department of Animal Health and Husbandry

I. O. Suleiman , Bayero University, Kano.

Department of Animal Science

I. Tahir , Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.

Faculty of Agricultural Technology

Z. A. Dankoli, Bayero University, Kano.

Department of Animal Science

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Published

2024-07-25

How to Cite

Galadima, N. M. ., Suleiman , I. O., Tahir , I. ., & Dankoli, Z. A. . (2024). MORPHOLOGICAL AND PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF HELMETED GUINEA FOWL (Numida meleagris) IN NIGERIA: A REVIEW. Nigerian Journal of Animal Production, 396–398. https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.7781

Issue

2015: NSAP 2015 Proceedings

Section

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