PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF DOMESTIC PIGEON (Columba livia domestica) RESOURSES IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

This study aimed at characterizing the phenotypic, morphology and production performance of the domestic pigeon resources of the Northern region and also, looking at the socio-economic characteristics of pigeon production systems in Northern region of Ghana. Ninety (90) pigeon farmers were sampled from nine (9) districts, ten (10) farmers from each of the districts using snowball sampling method. Pigeon farmers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview and questionnaire on social characteristics of pigeon farmers, pigeon management practices and production. The socio-economic analysis indicated that pigeons played an important role in the social lives of most of the farmers especially in rural areas. Pigeon farmers were predominantly males, about 94.4% with high level of illiteracy (83%). Pigeon farmers in Northern region described the birds as hardy and highly resistant to diseases with rate of mortality as low as (0 5%) throughout a year. Three hundred and sixty (360) pigeons were sampled for morphological measurements. The effects of variety, region and sex on body measurements were analyzed and phenotypic correlations among the various body and egg measurements were estimated. Regression equations were also fitted for body weight using body measurements. Four (4) eye colours were identified as orange/yellow, pearl/white, bull and cracked of which the orange eye colour had the largest presentation in the nine districts of the Northern region accounting for over 75% and cracked accounting for least 1.1% of the pigeons sampled. Ten plumage colour types were identified: blue bar, blue check, black spread, white, ash red, ash red bar, brown, brown check, pied, and tiger. Pied accounted for 25.8% which was the largest presentation and brown check accounted for least 1.9%. The effect of plumage colour variety was a significant (p<0.05) source of variation for body weight but pigeons recorded similar (p > 0.05) values for all the morphological parameters. Pigeons of the various districts were different in terms of body length (p < 0.01), wing span (p<0.05) and wing length (p < 0.05). Sex had profound influence (p < 0.01) on body weight and body length in pigeons. Also, both sexes were significantly different (p < 0.05) for wing length and wing span. In all male pigeons were superior to females. The highest correlation was between body weight and body length (0.467), body weight and wing length had the second highest correlation value of 0.299. With the stepwise multiple regression, body length (BL) was the best predictor of body weight with R2 of 0.218. The R2 increased a bit to 0.240 for body length (BL) together with wing length. The two equations obtained were: BWT = -117.481 + 13.512BL and BWT = -125.174 +12.033BL +4.828WL. Fifty (50) pigeons were raised over a period of five (5) months for performance traits measurement. The overall mean values for egg weight, egg length, egg width and egg shape index were; 26.350±0.257g, 3.681±0.018cm, 2.867±0.013cm and 78.090±0.432% respectively. The highest correlation was between egg weight and egg length (0.847) while the lowest correlation was between shape index and egg length (-0.154). For performance characteristics, fertility and hatchability percentages were 70.4% and 35.2% respectively. Adult mortality was 8% while squab mortality was 21.1%. The overall mean values for body weights of squab for day1, week1, week2, week3 and week4 were 22.655±1.119g, 157.321±6.230g, 224.107±8.227g, 267.381±3.827g and 271.667±3.321g. Squab had fast growth rate for both male and female but the rate slowed down with age from day one to week four. Data on carcass characteristics were collected from thirty (30) domestic pigeons (squab). The effect of sex was found to be a significant (p<0.05) source of variation for pre slaughter weight, dressed weight and heart weight. All carcass parameters were not influenced (P > 0.05) by colour variety, except for back, lung and gizzard weight on which colour varieties had little effect (p > 0.05). In conclusion, pigeon breeds in Northern Ghana were local with small body conformation, wide range of plumage colour varieties, males been superior to female, hardy and highly prolific coupled with high growth rate.