Phenotypic and Genetic Parameter Estimates for Local Guinea Fowl Production and Some Other Traits

Abstract

This study on indigenous Guinea fowls in Ghana was undertaken to estimate genetic variation and heritability of traits in these birds. The study was conducted at the Poultry Section of the Animal farm of the Department of Animal Science Education, University of Education, Winneba, Mampong-Ashanti campus, Ghana, from 2015 to 2018. The data used in the present experiment were collected from six hundred keets (300 males and 300 females) produced from randomly selecting and mating 110 dams and 22 sires and consisted of 780 records collected over a period of 3 years. The genetic parameters were estimated using sire-son, sire-daughter and dam-daughter regression analysis.  Body weight and 8-month weight gain showed the greatest additive genetic variation, with survival, docility, dressing percentage, age at first egg, egg weight, egg number, fertility, hatchability traits, feed intake and FCR showing relatively low additive genetic variation.  Moderate to high heritability estimates were obtained for body weight, weight gain at ages 1day to 2 months, 2-4 months in females, 4-6 months in males, docility, feed intake in females and feed conversion ratio in both males and females. Similarly, moderate to high heritability estimates were also obtained for age at first egg, egg weight and egg numbers. However, all other parameters considered in this study had low heritability estimates. This study concludes that, the results could be used to initiate Guinea fowl selection breeding programmes.