EFFECT OF WILD GUINEA FOWL HATCHABLE EGG SOURCES ON EGG EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS, FERTILITY, EMBRYO CHARACTERISTICS, MORTALITY AND HATCHABILITY

O. P. A. IDOWU; O. M. SOGUNLE; O. A. ADEYEMI; A. M. BAMGBOSE; O. D. OGUNSOLA; O. M. O. IDOWU

doi:10.51791/njap.vi.7892

Authors

O. P. A. IDOWU Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
O. M. SOGUNLE Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
O. A. ADEYEMI Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
A. M. BAMGBOSE Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
O. D. OGUNSOLA Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
O. M. O. IDOWU Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.7892

Keywords:

Guinea fowl, egg, wildlife

Abstract

A total of 600 hatchable eggs (300 each) from Northern Nigeria (Birnin Kebbi) and Saki in Southern Nigeria were used to investigate effect of wild guinea fowl hatchable egg sources on egg external characteristics, fertility, embryo characteristics, mortality and hatchability.Results showed that incubated eggs sourced from Birnin Kebbi had higher dead in shell (17%), infertile eggs (7%) and keets hatched (68%) compared to ones from Saki, while hatchable eggs from Saki had higher dead in germ (28%) and weak in shell (4%) embryos compared to values obtained in Birnin Kebbi eggs. It was concluded that egg length and egg shape index (ESI) were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the egg source while the meteorological elements and enviroment of the egg source constitute a complex system, which influenced fertility, embryo characteristics, mortality and hatchability of wild guinea fowl hatchable eggs.