EXTERNAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FOUR INDIGENOUS HELMETED GUINEA FOWL VARIETIES (Numida meleagris galeata Pallas 1882) IN NIGERIA

The physical characteristics of 338 indigenous helmeted guinea fowls at 28 and 52 weeks of age were described. Four main colour types or varieties recognised were Ash (Lavender), Black, Pearl (Grey) and pure White. Body weights averaged 1.15 ± 0.03kg and 1.34 ± 0.05kg at 28 and 52 weeks of age respectively for the guinea cocks and 1.07 æ 0.04kg and 1.29 æ 0.06kg at 28 and 52 weeks respectively for the guinea hens. The overall mean body weight for the entire population was 1.1 ± 0.4kg at 28 weeks of age and 1.31 ± 0.07kg at 52 weeks of age. Body weights were significantly (P<.05) bigger at end of laying (52 weeks) than at pointof lay. The males at each age and in each variety also had larger body weights than the females. The guinea cocks had slightly longer body (43.1 vs 42.6cm), keel (14.8 vs 14.4cm), wing (20.3 vs 20.2cm), shank (8.4 vs 7.9cm), drum stick (13.1vs 12.4cm), thigh (9.9 vs 9.6cm), toes and claws, wattle (3.0 vs 2.6cm), jhelmet (3.7 vs 3.2cm), beak (2.7 vs 2.5cm) and larger body girth (30.3 vs 29.4cm) than the guinea hens. About 21.14 and 24.16% of the neck of the males and females respectively were devoid of feathers. Colour of the naked portion of the neck was bluish-black and bear long hair like filoplumes on the dorsalregion. The colour of the beak was light brown in all the birds. All the Black and White birds had light brown shanks while 28.9 and 37.5% of the Ash and Pearl birds, respectively had partly brown and partly grey shank. 62.5 and 28.6% of the Pearl and Ash birds respectively, had brown shanks while 42.6% of the Ash birds had grey shank. The colour of the wattle was red in all the birds. The great variation in the various parameters measured and weighed suggests that they can probably be used in selection and hence genetic improvement of the local helmeted guinea fowl.