Evaluation of Calcium and Phosphorus Requirement for Optimal Performance of the French Guinea Fowl Broiler

Quinton J Puckett, Tennessee State University

Abstract

Evaluation of Calcium and Phosphorus Requirement for Optimal Performance of the French Guinea Fowl Broiler by Quinton Puckett. (under the direction of S. Nahashon). French Guinea fowl broilers were reared from hatch to slaughter (8 weeks of age) to determine required dietary calcium and available phosphorus (AP) concentrations for optimum growth performance and carcass characteristics. The birds were randomly assigned to dietary treatments in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement. The diets consisted of three levels of phosphorus (0.32%, 0.40%, and 0.48%) and four levels of calcium (0.6%, 0.8%, 1.0% and 1.2%). There were four replications of each dietary treatment. Feed and water were fed ad libitum for a period of eight weeks. Data collected to determine optimum levels was comprised of feed consumption, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and bone breaking strength, bone ash, and weight of carcass components such as weights of carcass, neck, breast, thigh, drumstick and wings. The weight of giblets including the heart, liver, gizzard and abdominal fat were also determined. Birds consuming diets comprising 1.2% calcium and 0.48% AP had the highest feed consumption whereas those consuming diets containing 1.2% calcium and 0.32 and 0.40 % AP were not different (P<0.05). Feed consumption, body weight gain and feed conversion were significantly depressed in birds consuming diets containing 0.6% calcium and 0.32 and 0.40% AP. However, body weight gain, feed conversion ratios and both bone ash and bone breaking strength were higher in birds fed diets containing 0.8% calcium and either 0.32 or 0.4% AP. Overall, the French guinea fowl utilized more efficiently diets containing 0.8 % calcium and 0.3-0.4% AP.

Subject Area

Animal sciences

Recommended Citation

Quinton J Puckett, "Evaluation of Calcium and Phosphorus Requirement for Optimal Performance of the French Guinea Fowl Broiler" (2013). ETD Collection for Tennessee State University. Paper AAI1563319.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI1563319

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