Effect of Vinegar as Disinfectant on Local Guinea Fowl Egg Hatchability and Keets Growth Performance

Background and Objective: The low guinea fowl egg hatchability and the high keet mortality are the main constraints that limit guinea fowl production. The effects of vinegar as a disinfectant on the egg hatchability and keets growth performance were evaluated through experimentation at CERRA Maradi (Niger). Materials and Methods: Bleach at 10% (B10), vinegar at 10% (V10) and vinegar at 15% (V15) were used for egg disinfection. One hundred and twenty eggs from local guinea fowl were divided into three groups. Each group was disinfected with one of products. Eggs were incubated for 28 days with 4 replicates. Keets from each group were divided into three replicates to assess growth performance for 5 weeks. Statistical analysis was performed with R 4.1.0. Results: Results showed that V10 had a 2.7 and 3.32% higher hatchability than B10 and V15 groups respectively with non-significant differences (p = 0.89). The mortality was recorded in keets of B10 and V10 groups. No mortality was recorded in V15 group. Feed intake, live weight, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio were not statistically influenced (p>0.05) by the type of disinfectant through experimentation. Conclusion: Compared to bleach, vinegar appears to be a new alternative for guinea fowl egg disinfection for incubation. At 10% is best suited for local guinea fowl egg hatchability and at 15% for keet survival and growth performance.