Production et caractéristiques physico-chimiques des œufs de la poule locale de Niamey (Niger)

Abstract

Production and physicochemical characteristics of eggs of local hen of Niamey (Niger) The objective of this study is to characterize the laying performances as well as the physical and nutritional qualities of the egg of the local hen of Niamey (Niger). To do this, we evaluated laying eggs produced during months by 40 hens. The hens were raised were raised in a litter park and fed with commercial layer feed at the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agronomy of the Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey. At the start of the laying period, the pullets were 19 weeks old and weighed an average of 919 ± 94 g. The laying peak was reached in the fourth week and lasted for 12 weeks. The average egg weight was 37.50 ± 3.64 g with an average consumption index of 6.97 ± 4.36 and a freshness index of 74.40 ± 0.70 Haugh units. The dry matter of the eggs contained 8.82 % and 17.11 % protein and fat, respectively. The local hen of Niamey is characterized by a low egg production and a lower feed valuation compared to commercial layers. An improvement of its performance could be envisaged through the selection, crossing or combination of the two methods.

Keywords

• consumption index
• egg-laying curve
• egg quality
• local hen
• niamey (niger)