Use of chips and cassava leaves in finishing guinea (Numida meleagris, L): animal performance, costs of production, Aspect of the carcass and meat quality

peer reviewedThe effect of feed containing cassava leafs and peels was assessed on 126 local guinea fowls animal performance, production costs and meat quality over a period of 28 weeks in humid tropical climate of the South Benin. After 12 weeks of classical feeding, animals were randomly allotted in three groups of 42 for the finishing period: the group 1 received a control diet while, in group 2, 8% and 35 % of cassava leafs and cossets were respectively incorporated, vs. 6 % and 25 % in group 3. At the end of the trial, eighteen guinea fowls per group were slaughtered in order to determine characteristics of the carcass and meat quality. Individual daily feed intake was higher in the control group than in the groups 2 and 3. Animals from control group shown higher growth rate (5.0 g/d) (P<0.05) than in groups 2 and 3. Consequently, feed conversion ratios were similar in the three groups with values of 7.5, 6.7 and 6.9, in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. At the end of the trial, animals in control group were heavier than those in groups 2 and 3 (P<0.05). No negative influence of cassava cossets and leaf meals was observed on carcass quality in the experimental diets. Feed costs per kg live weight were reduced by 24.6 and 21.0% in groups 2 and 3, respectively, when compared to control group. Guinea fowl production appears thus more profitable with feed containing cassava leaves and cossets. Consequently, these ingredients could be alternative sources of energy and protein, with emphasis during the finishing period

A comparison of the Fat Lean Meter (CGM), the ultrasonic device Pie Medical 200 and the Piglog 105 for estimation of the lean meat proportion in Pietrain carcasses

A comparison of the Fat Lean Meter (CGM), the ultrasonic device Pie Medical 200 (PIE) and the Piglog 105 (SFK) for estimation of the carcass lean meat proportion was realized with 307 Pietrain and negative-stress Pietrain. The day before slaughter, carcass lean content was measured with two types of ultrasonic devices on the live animal: the Piglog 105 and the Pie Medical Scanner 200. The carcass lean meat content was estimated by CGM at the slaughterhouse. The effect of the machine was highly significant (P < 0.001) for the carcass lean measurements. The percentages of lean meat were 65, 65.7 and 63.9%, respectively, for CGM, PIE and SFK (P < 0.05). The effect of the machine X genotype interaction was highly significant (P < 0.001). Regardless of the machine type, the carcass lean content increased from homozygote negative stress (CC) to heterozygote negative stress (CT) and from CT genotype to homozygote positive stress (TT). The effect of machine X sex interaction was also highly significant (P < 0.001). For each machine, gilts had more lean meat percentage than barrows (P < 0.05). The bias between each apparatus was significantly different according to the halothane genotype sensibility (P < 0.01), whereas the sex influenced only the difference between CGM and PIE lean meat content and the absolute value of this difference. The PIE and the SFK lean value overestimated the CGM lean, respectively from 52 to 67% and from 52 to 65% of CGM lean, whereas the PIE overestimated the SFK lean

Farmer perceptions and pathological constraints in helmeted guinea fowl farming in the Borgou department in North-East Benin

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Prédiction du gras intermusculaire du porc Piétrain par l'ultrasonographie en temps réel

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Evaluation par ultrasonographie en temps réel de la teneur en gras intramusculaire du porc Piétrain

Real-time ultrasound data collection, consisting specifically of longissimus thoracis muscle echogenicity, was carried out on 80 Pietrain pigs (42 gilts and 34 barrows) using the Pie Medical scanner 200 equipped with an ASP-18 probe and 3.5 MHz to predict intramuscular fat. Two ribs thickness (12th and 13th ribs) was excised from the longissimus thoracis muscle for subsequent ether extract value (EE) determination. The percentage of white pixels in the ultrasound image were related to EE percentage. The EE percentages were 1.44, 1.37 and 1.15 % respectively for the homozygous stress-negative Pietrain (CC), heterozygous stress-negative Pietrain (CT) and homozygous stress-positive Pietrain (TT) individuals. The percentage of white pixels in the longissimus thoracis images were 9.98, 8.75 and 7.79 % respectively for CC, CT and TT genotypes. The barrows had an higher intramuscular fat and white pixel percentage than the gilts. The determination coefficient (R 2) of the EE prediction model originating from the white pixels percentage was 0.35 with a root mean squared error of 0.26 %. These performance could be potentially improved using the calibration phantom of the ASP-18 probe, before taking images

Prediction of carcass composition and meat quality in stress negative pig using real-time ultrasound

peer reviewedThe lean meat proportion and longissimus thoracis intramuscular fat percentage were predicted in negative-stress Pietrain pigs by real-time ultrasound using Pie Medical 200. The optimal probing site for the estimation of carcass lean content percentage was first identified. The models for the prediction of carcass lean content proportion by ultrasound measurement were developed. Comparisons between Fat Lean Meter, ultrasonic device Piglog 105 and Pie Medical 200 were made for lean meat proportion estimation in Pietrain carcasses. The intramuscular fat percentage was predicted from the white pixel percentage in the longissimus thoracis ultrasound imag

Food resources unconventional use for poultry production in Africa: nutritional values and constraints

Numerous works are related to the use of unconventional feed resources, and particularly to Mucuna Spp., in poultry diet. This review aims at describing the context of their use, their nutritional values and the constraints related to their upgrading, before considering the effects of the various methods of treatment on the reduction of the toxic substances that they could contain and on their chemical compositions. The methods of treatment are very variable and their standardisation should allow using them in rural area. Those feed could thus constitute an alternative to costly conventional feed usually used in poultry production

Seasonal variations in the crop contents of scavenging Helmeted Guinea Fowls (Numida meleagris, L.) in Parakou (Benin).

1. An experiment was carried out with 120 helmeted guinea fowls during one year in Parakou (Benin). Feed intake, ingredient and chemical composition, along with the nutritional adequacy of scavenging diets were measured during the rainy season (November-February) and dry season (March-October) in order to propose supplementation strategies. Ingredients found in crops were identified and allocated into 6 main categories (supplemental feed, seeds, green forages, animal materials, mineral matter and unidentified materials). 2. Mean dry weights of crop contents were significantly higher in the rainy than in the dry season. Amounts and proportions of supplemental feed and seeds were not significantly different between seasons, whereas those of green forage, animal materials and mineral matter were higher in rainy season. Supplemental feed, especially maize and sorghum, was the largest component of the crop content in both seasons. The most represented grass seeds were Panicum maximum (rainy season) and Rottboellia cochinchinensis (dry season). 3. Dietary concentrations of organic matter, non-nitrogen extract and metabolisable energy were higher in the dry season, while mineral concentrations were higher in the rainy season. There were no significant differences between the two seasons in dry matter, crude protein or crude fibre. 4. Scavenging provided insufficient nutrients and energy to allow guinea fowls to be productive. Therefore, more nutritionally balanced supplementary feed would be required during both seasons