COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EGG QUALITY PARAMETERS OF GUINEA FOWL AND LOCAL CHICKENS IN BENUE AND TARABA STATES

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate some parameters of external and internal egg quality of local chickens and guinea fowl in Benue and Taraba states. A total of 160 eggs (40 eggs from each breed per state) were collected to study for egg (weight, shape index), albumen (weight, percentage), yolk (weight, percentage) and shell (weight, percentage, thickness, strength) quality. The results showed that the egg weight and egg length of local chickens in Benue were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of guinea fowl in the same state, whereas difference in egg shape index between these breeds were not significant (P > 0.05). Differences in albumen weight, albumen percentage, yolk weight and yolk percentage of the chicken breeds were statistically non-significant (P > 0.05). Albumen height was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in local chickens in Benue compared with local chickens in Taraba state. The significantly (P < 0.05) higher values of yolk height and yolk index were detected in guinea fowl in Bemue state than others. The shell weight and proportion were affected by the breed of hens (P < 0.05) but there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in egg shell thickness and strength. It was concluded that the breed of chicken and location affected some parameters of exterior and interior quality of eggs. Further were recommended on other breeds of chicken to also determine the quality of their eggs.