THE EFFECTS OF PRE-SLAUGHTER WITHHOLDING OF FEED AND WATER ON CARCASS YIELD AND MEAT QUALITY OF INDIGENOUS GUINEAFOWL (Numida meleagris galeata pallas)

Ninety indigenous pearl guineafowls, (Numida meleagris galeata pallas) with average weight of 1.1kg were allocated at random to one of ten treatments to assess the effects of withholding feed alone or feed together with water o carcass shrinkage and meat quality. The ten treatment were slaughter from the feed lot (control), and sampling times of 6, 12, 18 and 24hour. Weights of live and carcass were taken to monitor shrinkage along with relevant meat quality parameters. Live and carcass weights of head, liver, kidneys and heart decreased progressively as the length of fasting period increased. The progressive decrease in weight were found to be more pronounced in animals from which freed together with water were withdrawn. After 6hours of fasting decrease in weights were found to be significant (P < 0.05). ultimate pH and index of water holding capacity of the meats also increased with the increase in length of fasting period with a concomitant decrease in cooking losses. The fat ratio of the carcass component decreased with increase in length of fasting. The implications of the effect of these observation on commercial guineafowl meat production in the tropics are discussed