Development of Poultry Industry in Japan: Prospects of Guinea Fowl Production

Abstract

Poultry products are mainly eggs and meat, both production are increasing in Japan although the number of famiers continue to decrease. This has resulted from the enlargement of the management scale. There is a necessity to find a new poultry product that could sell at a higher price for the small-scale fanners to keep retain their management. ln recent years, the preference of consumers have been diversified and there is a demand for many kinds of poultry products. Therefore, the guinea fowl, seems to be bird that has replaced chicken in Japan. Though guinea fowl is a bird of the tropical region around West Africa, many commercial guinea fowls are being reared in Europe. Although the guinea fowl is mainly used for meat production, they are also excellent not only for broilers but also for layers. The merits of guinea fowl is as follows: (1) Resistance to serious infectious disease in chicken and turkey is greater, (2) Polyphonic and the behavior of moving is suitable for grazing, (3) Since the egg shell is thick, egg is not easy to crack and could maintain quality, (4) Where the egg is small, the ratio of the egg yolk is high and the concentration of no saturation fat acids in the yolk are higher than in chicken eggs. As mentioned above, guinea fowls has some merits for poultry production. It is necessary to control the environment for premeditated production in Japan, since the breeding season is limited under natural conditions. Therefore, the establishment of managerials teclmiques for guinea fowl is expected.