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Protein and energy requirements for starting and finishing broiler guineafowl ( Numida meleagris ) in the tropics
Author(s) -
Agwunobi L Nnabenyi,
Ekpenyong Thomas E
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740550206
Subject(s) - guinea fowl , broiler , starter , zoology , biology , tropics , energy requirement , veterinary medicine , food science , mathematics , ecology , medicine , statistics , regression
Two experiments were conducted to determine the optimum protein and energy levels for starting and finishing guineafowls. Eighty one‐day‐old guinea‐fowl keets were tested in groups of 20 on four starter rations (made up of four protein contents 28, 26, 24, and 22% (w/w) with corresponding energy levels 13.8, 13.4, 13.0, and 12.6MJ kg −1 diet), for a period of 6 weeks and later changed to four finisher rations. The finisher rations were made up of four protein levels (24, 20, 16 and 12% w/w) and four corresponding energy levels (12.6, 12.2, 11.7, 11.3MJ kg −1 diet). These were fed from 7 to 12 weeks. The result of this study indicated that the optimum protein and energy levels for starting guineafowl in the tropics were 22% (w/w) crude protein and 12.6 MJ kg −1 ME diet while that of finishing guineafowl 16% (w/w) crude protein and 11.7MJ kg −1 ME diet.