Comparison of local Guinea fowl (Meleagris numida) production characteristics in experimental station and rural area in soudano-guinean zone of Bénin

摘要

sAsurveyontheproductioncharacteristicsofguineafowl(Meleagrisnumida)wascarriedoutintheBorgoudepartmentlocatedinthesoudano-guineanzoneNorth-EstofBenin.Chicksandreproductivegroupswerekepteitheronstationunderimprovedmanagementconditionsorinruralenvironment.Inruralenvironment,thebirdsweredividedintwogroups.Thebirdspertainingtothefirstgroupweretreatedagainstparasiticdiseases,whereasthoseinthesecondone(controlgroup)receivednotreatment.nbsp;Understationconditions,thefeedconversionratioandthedailyweightgainwere8.8and5.7g/dayrespectively.Meanbodyweightatsixmonthsofagewere1151gand1085gformalesandfemales,respectively.Sexualmaturitywasreachedat36weeksofage.Formaturehenskeptonstation,layingrateandthemeaneggweightwere37.2%(65%atthepeak)and41.1grespectively.nbsp;Smothering,stressandprickingwerethemajorconstraintstothecloisteringofguineafowl.nbsp;nbsp;Inruralenvironment,themeanhatchabilityratewas70%.Mortalityrateandadultbodyweightwerenotsignificantlydifferentbetweengroups.Mortalityrateobservedintheruralenvironmentwas50%forbothtreatedoruntreatedbirds.Apartfromtheparasiticaffections,themaincausesofmortalityweretherain,thepredators,thecoldandthefragilityofchicks.Themeanbodyweightatsixmonthsofageishigherforthebirdsraisedundervillageconditionsincomparisontothebirdskeptonstation.