ABSTRACT
Guinea fowl have several advantages over chickens. These birds are highly valued for their meat and eggs, particularly in tropical regions. They are currently in many parts of the world. Recently, the demand for guinea fowl meat has increased because it is considered a high-quality protein source. In addition, their eggs are delicious and considerably better than those of chickens. Guinea fowl eggs are valued for their thick shells, and longer shelf life, and it has premium prices compared with commercial and indigenous chickens. Chicken eggs have been well studied for egg and meat quality. However, such information isn’t so sufficiently documented in other poultry species. Despite the interest in guinea fowl production, it is vital to take cognizance of the fact that there is a lack of information on the production and quality of guinea fowl products, in contrast to commercial chickens. Therefore, the present review aims to assess the egg and meat quality of Guinea fowl in different tropical regions. The main results of the current study showed that the external egg quality characteristics, mainly (egg weight, shell percentage, and shell thickness), and internal egg quality traits, mainly (albumen weight, haugh unit, yolk height, and yolk color) of Guinea fowl differed under different tropical regions. Concerning carcass characteristics, a clear difference was observed in dressing percentage and breast percentage of Guinea fowl in various tropical areas. A similar trend was observed for the meat color.
Keywords:
Guinea Fowl; Egg Quality; Meat Quality; The tropics
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