Genetic Parameters of Growth Traits of Indigenous Guinea Fowls (Numida meleagris galeatea) from Northern Ghana

This study was carried out to estimate some genetic parameters of growth traits of indigenous guinea fowls in northern Ghana. Forty-six-week-old guinea fowls were selected at random from a randomly mating breeding population consisting of birds from Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Volta regions in 2010 and raised at the Livestock and Poultry Research Center of the University of Ghana until 2015. Parameters taken were hatch weight (BW0), weight at 2 weeks (BW2), BW4, BW6, BW 8, BW10, BW12, BW16, BW20, BW24, BW28, BW32, BW36, brooding daily gain (BDG0-4), post brooding daily gain from 4 weeks to 8 weeks (PBDG4-8), PBDG8-12, PBDG12-20, PBDG20-24 and PBDG8-20. Estimation of the heritability of body weight was carried out using the Mixed Model Methodology. The sire model and known genetic relationship in single trait analysis was carried out using the ASREML 3 statistical program. Estimation of heritabilities for the growth rates was done using Becker (1984) procedure. Estimates of genetic and phenotypic correlations were obtained using appropriate expressions involving the estimated variance components according to Becker (1984). Generally, the heritability (h2) estimates of body weight for all guinea fowls in this study were low (0.06 for BW36) to moderate (0.51 for BW32). Estimates of heritability for growth rates were medium (0.39 for PBDG4-8) to high (0.78 for PBDG8-12) except P8-20 which had a low heritability value (0.22). With respect to phenotypic correlations, the least coefficient of -0.007 was between BW0 and BW10 whereas the highest of 0.979 was between BW24 and BW28. The heritability estimates of body weight and growth rates were low to high i.e., 0.08-0.70 and 0.22-0.78, respectively. Body weight at two weeks of age served as an indicator for the early selection of guinea fowls based on body weight. It is recommended that the results obtained could be included in the breeding objectives of any upcoming guinea fowl improvement program.