EGG QUALITY CNAMCTERISTICS OF POUR LOCAL POULTRY SPECIES IN NICERIA

Abstract

Eggs of four poultry species were assessed to compare their physical quality characteristics, The poultry species were the local chicken, the local duck, the guinea fowl and the local pigeon while egg traits studied included weight, shape index, albumen height, Haugh unit,
yolk height, shell characteristics, component weights and persentages and yolk colour. Highly significant (P < 0.05) differences were obtained from all the qualify traits studied except for egg shape index. Egg weight, yolk height and percentage yolk favoured the local duck to the other poultry species. Egg weights were 74.20 g for ducks, 42.60 g for guinea fowls, 36.26 g for local chickens and 17.55 g for local pigeons. Albumen quality expressed in terms of Haugh unit was lowest: in local ducks (41,55), Values were 4135 for the local chicken, 64.65 for the guinea fowl and 66.34 for the local pigeon. Guinea fowl eggs had the highest quality in terms of the shell strength, shell material and yolk colour. Shell thickness averaged 0.59 mm for guinea fowl eggs, 0.52 rnm for duck eggs, 0.36 mm for local chicken eggs and 0.20 mm for eggs of the local pigeon. 'The reults indicate that the guinea fowl egg was the easiest to transport over long distances, had the longest shell life and is useful for its deeply pigmented yolk. These have obvious implications for creating demand and for sustaining the useful life of the products in a depneased economy.