Use of chips and cassava leaves in finishing guinea (Numida meleagris, L): animal performance, costs of production, Aspect of the carcass and meat quality
Dahouda, M.; Toleba, Soumanou Seibou; Youssao, A. K. I.et al.
2009 • In Annales de Médecine Vétérinaire, 153 (2), p. 82-87
[en] The effect of feed containing cassava leafs and peels was assessed on 126 local guinea fowls animal performance, production costs and meat quality over a period of 28 weeks in humid tropical climate of the South Benin. After 12 weeks of classical feeding, animals were randomly allotted in three groups of 42 for the finishing period: the group 1 received a control diet while, in group 2, 8% and 35 % of cassava leafs and cossets were respectively incorporated, vs. 6 % and 25 % in group 3. At the end of the trial, eighteen guinea fowls per group were slaughtered in order to determine characteristics of the carcass and meat quality. Individual daily feed intake was higher in the control group than in the groups 2 and 3. Animals from control group shown higher growth rate (5.0 g/d) (P<0.05) than in groups 2 and 3. Consequently, feed conversion ratios were similar in the three groups with values of 7.5, 6.7 and 6.9, in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. At the end of the trial, animals in control group were heavier than those in groups 2 and 3 (P<0.05). No negative influence of cassava cossets and leaf meals was observed on carcass quality in the experimental diets. Feed costs per kg live weight were reduced by 24.6 and
21.0% in groups 2 and 3, respectively, when compared to control group. Guinea fowl production
appears thus more profitable with feed containing cassava leaves and cossets. Consequently, these ingredients could be alternative sources of energy and protein, with emphasis during the finishing period.
Use of chips and cassava leaves in finishing guinea (Numida meleagris, L): animal performance, costs of production, Aspect of the carcass and meat quality