Influence of Dietary Protein on Embryonic Development and Hatching Traits of Indigenous Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris) Breeders in Togo

Abstract

The diet of breeding indigenous guinea fowl breeders can influence their reproductive performance. Thus, the current study was designed to investigate the effects of different dietary protein intake levels of breeders on embryonic development. A total of 1152 hatching eggs were collected, numbered, weighed, and allocated to 3 groups (control, high-protein [High-P], and low-protein [Low-P]) with 4 replicates of 96 eggs in each dietary treatment group. The eggs were candled on incubation days 9 and 24. At the end of the hatch, all keets were counted and weighed. Six keets in each group were randomly selected and sacrificed for blood and organ collection. The results showed that the heaviest eggs were for the High-P group and keets at hatch had higher relative hatching muscle weights, compared to the control group. However, the Low-P group had smaller eggs and keets gained lower relative hatching muscle weights compared to the control. Fertility, early mortality rate, and delayed mortality decreased in the High-P group but it increased in the Low-P group, compared to the control. The dietary protein did not influence the incubation time. The maternal diet protein content affected fertility, embryonic development, hatchability, and keet quality. The indigenous guinea fowl breeders need appropriate protein intake to show their potential reproduction performances.