Determination of Phenotypic Correlations Between Internal and External Quality Traits of Guinea Fowl Eggs

In this study, it was aimed to determine the internal and external quality traits of the Guinea fowl eggs as well as the phenotypic correlation among the these traits. Totally 100 Guinea fowl eggs were collected in three sequential days were used for this study. The birds were housed at Poultry Research Unit of the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Akdeniz. Values of egg weight, egg length, egg width, eggshape index, eggshell weight, eggshell ratio, eggshell thickness, eggshell surface area, unit surface area and egg volume were determined as 40.14 g, 49.47 mm, 37.89 mm, 0.76%, 6.48 g, 16%, 0.54 mm, 65.69 cm2, 0.11 g/cm2 and 38.21 cm3, respectively. In addition, values of yolk weight, yolk height, yolk width, yolk index, yolk ratio, albumen height, albumen width, albumen length, albumen weight, albumen index, yolk/albumen ratio and haugh unit were found as 13.58 g, 14.99 mm, 40.64 mm, 37%, 33%, 4.77 mm, 62.97 mm, 80.07 mm, 21.62 g, 6.7%, 68% and 74.97%, respectively. According to the results determined in this study, all most all external quality traits of the egg were changed at the significant levels depending on the change occurred in the egg weight. The results indicated that egg weight influences external egg quality traits of quinea fowl. The positive correlations obtained among the egg quality traits indicated that they can be improved phenotypically through selection.