Fertility Parameters Through Artificial Insemination in Guinea Fowl

Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris) are domesticated mainly for its meat and egg. However the fertility and hatchability percentages were low, leading to reproductive wastage and slow genetic improvement in the natural mating system. Different protocols of artificial insemination were attempted in this work, where the maximum fertility of 95 % were observed in the birds inseminated with 100 million spermatozoa in Beltsville poultry semen extender, coupled with vaginal douching. Further, optimum fertility was maintained in the birds five days post insemination following the above protocol. The different AI procedures evaluated by Inner Perivitelline Layer spermatozoa penetration essay will be of immense use in quick genetic improvement and scaling up of the superior germplasm of guinea fowl for commercial exploitation.