Growth and Laying Performance of Local Guinea Fowl on Different Dietary Protein and Energy Levels

Abstract

Constraints to Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) production include poor growth and low laying performance. However, the lack of standard nutritional requirements significantly hinders commercial indigenous Guinea fowl production in Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the proper levels of crude protein (14, 16, and 18%) and metabolizable energy (2.65, 2.75, and 2.85 Mcal/kg) in the diets of native Guinea fowl in Nigeria. The dietary protein (PL) and energy (EL) levels for the fowl were evaluated in a completely randomized 3 (PL) × 3 (EL) factorial design with three replicates of 10 birds each. Thus, 270 birds with 20 weeks of age were allocated randomly to nine dietary treatments (18P:2.65E, 18P:2.75E, 18P:2.85E, 16P:2.65E, 16P:2.75E, 16P:2.85E, 14P:2.65E, 14P:2.75E and 14P:2.85E). The PL × EL interaction affected Guinea fowl's DFI, DWG, and WWG (p<0.05), while WFI and FCR remained unaffected. The 16:2.85E diet increased the DFI of the birds compared to other diets (p˂0.05). The DFI of the 18:2.65, 18:2.75, and 16:2.75E Guinea fowls was higher than those of 18:2.85E, 14:2.65E, 14:2.75E, and 14:2.85 birds (p˂0.05). The DWG of fowls improved by the 16:2.85E diet compared to other diets, except for the 18P:2.65E and 16P:2.75E diets (p˂0.05). The interaction had a significant impact on the EN, EYH, and EM of the Guinea fowl egg while FCR remained unaffected. The 18P:2.85E diet improved the EN and EM of the birds compared to other diets (p˂0.05), The 18P:2.85E also improved the FCR for laying except for 14P:2.85E and 18P:2.75E. The 18P:2.85E diet influenced the YW of the birds compared to other diets (p˂0.05), whereas the EW of fowls improved by the 16:2.85E diet compared to other diets except for the 16P:2.65E diet (p˂0.05). In conclusion, feeding guinea fowls with a diet comprising 18% protein and 2.85 Mcal/kg metabolizable energy significantly improved egg production and quality.