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ABSTRACT
The potential for guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) production in the US as alternative poultry is a promising enterprise. However, scientific literature on their nutrient requirements is very limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate optimum dietary metabolizable energy (ME) for growth performance and carcass characteristics of French guinea broilers. Two hundred and twenty straight-run day old French guinea keets were randomly assigned to starter diets varying in ME concentration (2800, 2900, 3000, 3100 or 3200 ME kcal/kg diet) with identical crude protein (CP) content (23%) from hatch to 4 weeks of age (WOA). From 5-8 WOA, the diets were formulated to contain 2850, 2950, 3050, 3150 or 3250 ME kcal/kg diet, respectively, and 21% CP. Each 100 ME kcal/kg increase was associated with significant (P < 0.05) decrease in feed consumption such that birds on 2900 and 3000 ME Kcal/kg diet consumed 2.5 and 1.8% less feed than birds on 2800 and 2900 ME kcal/kg diet, respectively. Birds on 3100 and 3200 ME kcal/kg diet were more than 10% heavier (P < 0.05) than birds receiving diets of lower ME. Mean feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds on 3100 and 3200 ME kcal/kg diet was lower (P < 0.05) than for birds on 3000 and 2900 ME kcal/kg diet. Mean eviscerated carcass weight was higher (P < 0.05) in guinea broilers receiving 3100 ME kcal/kg diet than other treatment groups. The weight of breast, thigh and drumstick of birds on 3100 and 3200 ME kcal/kg diet were not different, but were higher than all other treatment groups. While abdominal fat weight was directly proportional to dietary metabolizable energy levels, differences in weights of heart, liver and gizzard were not significant among the dietary metabolizable energy levels. Positive and highly significant correlations (P < 0.01) were noted between live weight and weight of carcass, breast, thigh and drumstick of French guinea broilers. Thus, based on this study, at 21% CP levels French guinea broilers will utilize more efficiently diets containing 3100 and 3150 ME kcal/kg diet at 0-4 and 5-8 WOA, respectively.