Guinea Fowl Production in Botswana

Guinea fowl farming is still in its infancy in Botswana; hence the population of farmed guinea fowl is unknown, as well as, their contribution to human nutrition. Presently, production occurs mainly at subsistence level and females (women) appear to dominate the industry. In Botswana, guinea fowl are raised mainly under the semi-intensive system. Guinea fowl meat is of high quality, being high in protein and low in fat content, thus it is highly prized compared to chicken meat. It appears that guinea fowl farming could be more suitable to the rural areas where commercial chicken production has failed because guinea fowl are tolerant to diseases than chickens. Some challenges to guinea fowl production include farmers’ inadequate management skills necessary to raise guinea fowl successfully, inadequate technical support and lack of financial support from government extension services. It appears that guinea fowl production could be an important supplier of high quality animal protein (meat and eggs), as well as, a job creator in the rural areas.