EFFECT OF FREE-RANGE AREA AND FEED RESTRICTION ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF HUNGARIAN LANDRACE GUINEA FOWL

Abstract

Hungarian Landrace Guinea Fowls are famous for their excellent meat quality produced by traditional free-range farming. The study aimed to identify the optimal size of a free-range area for keeping Hungarian Landrace Guinea Fowl, and to examine its effect in combination with quantitative feed restriction on growth performance, 486 birds were randomly distributed into 18 cages. Free-range areas of different sizes (either 50 m2 or 15 m2 per bird, or without a running area) were provided from 6 weeks of age, and from 9 to 14 weeks,feed restriction at varying levels of 90%, 80%, 70% or ad libitum feeding was also applied. Body weight, body weight gain and feed conversion ratios were recorded every two weeks. Results showed that differing freerange area sizes and feed restriction had a substantial effect on the body weight of Hungarian Landrace Guinea Fowl, which was evident by the age of 10 weeks and continued until 14 weeks, where feed restriction negatively affected guinea fowl growth in free-range keeping. Guinea fowl provided with 15 m2 of free-range area per bird and fed ad libitum had the highest body weight  (1378.52 ± 43.68 g) with relatively low feedconversion ratio (3.82 ± 0.14 kg feed per kg body weight gain) when compared with other experimental groups at the age of 14 weeks. The lowest body weight and feed conversion ratio was observed in groups with 15 m2 freerange area per bird and 70% feed restriction (1245.93 ± 38.64 g and 3.52 ± 0.12 kg feed per kg body weight gain), while the highest feed conversion ratio was detected in groups fed ad libitum and kept closed, without a free range area (4.34 ± 0.06 kg feed per kg body weight gain).