This study was conducted to determine the relationship between body weight and body linear parameters of the French broiler guinea fowl (FBGF) raised in the humid tropics of Nigeria, and to establish an equation for predicting body weight of the FBGF using body linear parameters. A total of 86 FBGFs were used for the study. The birds were managed intensively for 38 weeks before measurements were taken on the birds. Body weight was taken using a sensitive digital weighing scale. Body biometrics-shank length, thigh length, keel length, chest circumference, body length and wing length were measured using a flexible measuring tape. Data were subjected to statistical package for analysis. The correlations between body weight and body linear measurements were determined using Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient (r). Data were also subjected to simple and multiple regression analysis. Correlations between body weight and body linear measurements were positive and significant (P<0.01). The values for coefficient of determination (R 2) ranged from 0.2% to 19.5% with shank length showing the highest R 2 value. This implies that shank length could be the best predictor of body weight of the French broiler guinea fowl. The predictive equations showed that there was a significant (P<0.01) relationship between body weight and body linear measurements. R 2 values observed in this study shows that the predictive equations could be used to predict body weight accurately using the simple regression model.

The T 3 in vitro test was applied to determine the free combining capacity of thyroxin-binding globulin (T 3 value) in female cattle aged between 3 and 5 months. That capacity is indirectly correlated with the thyroid hormons level in the blood. Heritability coefficients for the T 3 value ranged between 0.248 and 0.644. Medium negative genetic correlations (rg =-0.285 to-0.344) were found between T 3 value and milk quantity, while medium positive genetic correlations (rg = 0.349 to 0.444) existed between the T 3 value and butterfat and milk protein contents. The coefficients of genetic correlation between T 3 value and butterfat quantity were about zero (0.017 to-0.024) and those between T 3 value and milk protein quantity were slightly negative (-0.118 to — 0.192). Phenotypic correlation coefficients generally were much lower, their signs, however, being the same as for the genetic correlation coefficients.

This study was carried out to evaluate fertility, embryonic mortality, hatchability and early survival rate the French broiler guinea fowl (FBGF) raised under the Nigerian humid tropics. About 116 hatching eggs of the FBGF were sourced from Songhai Agricultural Research Center in Funtua, Katsina State, Nigeria. The eggs were incubated using an automated incubator. Fertility, Embryonic mortalities, Hatchability and keet survival rate were investigated. The result indicated that fertility was 94.5%, early embryonic mortality, late embryonic mortality and hatchability were 12.2%, 8.6% and 91.4% respectively. Average keet hatch weight was 22 g and keet survival at brooding was 72.1%.

The study was carried out at Akpehe poultry farm, Makurdi,on the Tiv and the Fulani Nigerian local chicken ecotypes.The variability on clutch traits were estimated on 540 hens produced from the mating of 40 hens and 4 sires each for the Tiv and the Fulani local chicken ecotypes, randomly selected from rural populations. The hens were housed singly and hand mated. Daily egg production was recorded individually. The data was organized according to clutch size, clutch number, pause number and pause length. SAS procedure was used to analyze the variability on clutch traits within and between the ecotypes.Clutch size has the highest variability within the ecotype. Between the ecotypes, the Tiv ecotype showed higher variability in clutch traits than the Fulani ecotype. The higher variability in the Tiv ecotype was related to the large population of single inter breeding flock which renders genetic drift insignificant. The small reproductive population often left when the Fulani women disposed large numbers of matured birds from their flock when preparing for new settlements thereby accelerating genetic drift. This had driven the population of the Fulani ecotype towards genetic uniformity in clutch traits by reducing genetic variation overtime. The genetic diversity of the Fulani ecotype in clutch traits that could be used for current and future adaptation is been threatened.

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