The role of agriculture in Benin, Western Africa cannot be overemphasized, where livestock production is a major occupation among the rural population as it serves as a means of livelihood and sustenance. This study was carried out to examine the socio-economic correlates of guinea fowl production status in Benin and to characterize their management practices. 165 farmers across 10 regions in Benin were selected using the non-probabilistic snowball sampling method. Information on farmers’ socio-economics, management practices and constraints to optimum production were elicited with the aid of a structured questionnaire and subjected to analysis. The results showed that across all the 10 regions surveyed, guinea fowl farming was the dominant occupation, particularly among men (81.0%) irrespective of sociolinguistic groups, religion and level of education. About one-third (34.5%) of the farmers had no formal education. In terms of characterization, four clusters of guinea fowl farmers were identified based on geographical location, educational level, management technique and farming experience. The constraints to guinea fowl production were slow growth and high mortalities as a result of diseases (40.7%) and predators (29.1%). Improvement in feeding (30%) and veterinary care (33.9%) were part of suggestions made by farmers to increase the productivity of the birds. The study concluded that adequate technical support and scientific research are inevitable in this sector as this will considerably improve the rural populations living conditions through enhanced income and therefore constitute a real lever for rural development.

Contexte : La valorisation des résidus de cultures pour l’alimentation des ruminants constitue une solution pour combler une partie du déficit fourrager des systèmes d’élevage pastoraux et agropastoraux durant la saison sèche en Afrique de l’Ouest, dans un contexte de changement climatique. Objectif : Cette étude avait pour objectif d’évaluer la perception des agropasteurs sur les techniques d’amélioration de l’utilisation des résidus de cultures – généralement des pailles de céréales et des fanes de légumineuses – pour l’alimentation du bétail. Méthodes : Une enquête a été menée auprès de 60 chefs d’exploitations dans la commune de Koumbia au sud-ouest du Burkina Faso. Résultats : La typologie obtenue permet d’identifier trois groupes d’exploitants – les agriculteurs, les éleveurs et les agro-éleveurs – selon la superficie qu’ils cultivaient en maïs et en coton et le nombre de bovins en leur possession. Ces trois groupes ont exprimé la même perception et appréciation favorable de la valorisation des résidus de cultures pour l’alimentation animale. En effet, 89 % des agro-éleveurs, 87 % des agriculteurs et 69 % des éleveurs utilisaient prioritairement les résidus de cultures pour complémenter leur bétail. Même si la moitié d’entre eux, quel que soit le groupe, connaissaient des techniques de valorisation des résidus de cultures, ils les pratiquaient peu. En effet, une faible proportion des agriculteurs et des éleveurs (9,1 %) et des agro-éleveurs (6,2 %) a déclaré asperger la paille avec de l’eau salée pour en améliorer la qualité nutritive. De plus, les résidus de cultures étaient le plus souvent stockés sur les toits des hangars, révélant ainsi une insuffisance d’équipements de stockage. Conclusions : cette étude a montré que les traitements visant à améliorer la valeur nutritive des résidus de cultures sont peu utilisés en raison de la mauvaise maîtrise qu’en ont les exploitants, de leur incertitude quant à l’efficacité de ces traitements, et de l’absence d’infrastructures.

Guinea fowls are one of the indigenous species of Africa and constitute an alternative source of high-quality meat and eggs. Several studies have been conducted on guinea fowl management, reproduction, and genetic characterization. Guinea fowl are predominantly reared under extensive or semi-intensive systems, where they cohabit with other poultry species and roam freely during the day. These systems, characterized by small flock sizes and suboptimal housing conditions, contribute to reduced productivity and high mortality rates. The zootechnical performances of guinea fowl under these systems is often low due to difficult breeding conditions and climatic variability. This review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on the genetic characterization of guinea fowl in Africa, and to examine its implications for sustainable guinea fowl production and conservation. Relevant literature on the genetic characterization of guinea fowl in Africa was gathered through systematic searches in databases, focusing on studies conducted between 2000 and 2024. Molecular characterization methods used include microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA analysis. The sex-ratio is typically three females per male, with laying beginning between 7 and 9 months, and egg laying mostly occurs during the rainy season when food is abundant. Growth performance varies according to sex, farming system, disease control, and strain. Phenotypic traits of guinea fowl include plumage colours, wattle, and eye colour variations, which are influenced by genetic and environmental factors. For instance, studies in different regions have reported varying prevalence of plumage colours, with pearl grey being the most common in many areas, and white or mostly pied colours in others. Colour variations play a role in the thermoregulation and adaptation to local climates. Biometric characteristics such as body weight, chest circumference, body length, thigh length, shank length, and wingspan are crucial for assessing growth and market value. Strong correlations exist between body weight and measurements of shank and thigh length, thereby aiding in the predictive assessment of growth performance. Molecular characterization using microsatellite markers revealed high phenotypic diversity among guinea fowl populations but low differentiation between local breeds, likely due to the free-range management system and gene flow across regions. Studies using mitochondrial DNA markers have also revealed extensive genetic intermixing, suggesting recent domestication and the lack of distinct maternal genetic structures. These genetic insights are important for developing guinea fowl breeding programs that enhance productivity and adaptation to tropical conditions. The genetic characterization of guinea fowl has strong implications for the African poultry industry, as it supports the development of resilient and productive breeds suited to local conditions, while also contributing to the conservation of indigenous genetic resources critical for long-term food security and rural development.

This study aimed to identify key morphometric predictors of body weight in local ducks and assess their genetic diversity to inform breeding programs in southeastern Nigeria. A total of 200 ducks (100 from each of the states of Abia and Imo) were measured for 10 morphometric traits to evaluate their relationship with body weight. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed five distinct clusters within the duck population, with Cluster 1 showing the lowest and Cluster 5 the highest average body weights. Hierarchical clustering corroborated these groupings. Correlation analysis identified body circumference (BDC) as the most reliable predictor of body weight (r=0.76). Gender-specific trends were also observed: shank length (SHL) had a positive correlation with females (r=0.65), while neck length (NKL) was more strongly correlated with males (r=0.72). The strongest overall correlation was between body weight and body circumference, modelled by the equation BDW = 2401.41 + 122.04 × BDC (R²=0.84, r=0.91). For genetic diversity assessment, 40 blood samples (20 from each state) were collected from randomly selected, unrelated ducks. DNA was extracted, amplified using PCR, and sequenced, revealing two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): C→A and A→G substitutions. This led to the identification of two homozygous (CC, AA) and two heterozygous (CA, AG) genotypes, along with four haplotypes and 133 polymorphic sites. The haplotype diversity was 1.000, and nucleotide diversity averaged 0.606%. These findings demonstrate that integrating morphometric and molecular analyses provides a robust framework for characterizing local duck populations. This dual approach supports the development of informed breeding strategies to enhance productivity, particularly in resource-limited settings.