Studies on the livestock of Southern Darfur, Sudan, VII. Production of poultry under simulated traditional conditions.

Observations were made on egg production, egg hatchability and fertility, liveweight and growth characteristics of domestic fowls, Muscovy ducks and pigeons kept under simulated traditional conditions in Southern Darfur. Fowl and ducks produced about 50 eggs a year in 4 1/2 clutches spaced at 80 day intervals and pigeons 17 in 8 1/2 clutches at 43 day intervals. First eggs were laid at about 240 days by the fowls, 213 days by ducks and 132 days by pigeons. The annual weight of eggs produced was 2,013 3,596 and 286 g for fowl, ducks and pigeons respectively, being 1.53, 2.33 and 0.88 times the mean adult female body weight for each species. Fertility and hatchability of eggs were higher in fowls than ducks which were in turn higher than in pigeons. Early growth in pigeons was very rapid. Muscovies achieved mature body weights at about 20 weeks while mature weights in fowls were achieved much later in males than in females.