2nd cycle production performance of guinea fowl and suitable combination for commercial production

K. Ravi Kumar, S.K. Panda and Indira Nayak
Central Poultry Development Organization (Eastern Region), Bhubaneswar, Orissa (India)

Guinea fowls were imported to Indian Sub-continent from Africa about 600 years back and are being maintained in smallholder backyard system of production. No systematic studies have been done on this species except in CARI. Guinea fowls were procured by CPDO (ER), Bhubaneswar from State Poultry, Chiplima in 1997 and popularized in rural Orissa for diversification of rural poultry production. Data is scarce rather not available in literature about 2 nd cycle of production in Guinea fowls. Study carried out at our farm has shown that Guinea fowls are profile layers even during 2 nd cycle as that of first cycle rather production was more during 2 nd cycle of production compared to 1 st cycle. The hen-housed production per bird for 1 st and 2 nd cycles respectively was 129 and 151 eggs for white, 132 and 135 eggs for pearl and 130 and 154 for lavender varieties. The result obtained from a complete diallel cross revealed that WP cross (white males mated to pearl females) had the highest hen housed production of 146 eggs and were superior to all other crosses. This observation had practical significance for commercial point of view, since lavender purelines as well as WP Cross females can be used effectively and profitable for commercial production of Guinea Fowl.

Source : IPSACON-2005

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