EFFECT OF AGE AND EGG SIZE OF JAPANESE QUAIL HENS ON HATCHABILITY AND POST HATCH PERFORMANCE OF QUAIL CHICKS FED DIFFERENT DIETARY PROTEIN LEVELS

EFFECT OF AGE AND EGG SIZE OF JAPANESE QUAIL HENS ON HATCHABILITY AND POST HATCH PERFORMANCE OF QUAIL CHICKS FED DIFFERENT DIETARY PROTEIN LEVELS

ABSTRACT

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of age and egg size of Japanese quail hens on hatchability and effect of chick size and protein level on post hatch performance of quail chicks. In the first experiment, the relationship between age with egg size, egg number, hen day production and the subsequent effect of age and egg size on hatchability were determined. Eggs were collected on daily basis for a period of 12 weeks from a total of 211 Japanese quail hens and were marked, weighed with a sensitive electronic scale and sorted into three egg size categories on the basis of small (<9g), medium (9-10g) and large (>10g) to determine the effect of age on egg size, egg number of various sizes and hen day production. Fertile eggs were further collected within the last week of each month when Japanese quail hens were 9, 13, and 17 weeks old to determine the effect of age and egg size on hatchability of the three categories of egg sizes. It was observed that age had significant (P<0.05) effects on average egg size, egg number of various sizes and hen day production. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in percent fertility, percent hatch, percent dead in shell, percent infertile eggs, chick weight and percent survival. The differences observed for percent hatchability were not statistically (P> 0.05) significant, however mean percent hatchability of 69.58% was obtained for medium sized eggs with similar values of 65.95% and 65.74% for large and small sized eggs at the ages of 9, 13 and 17 weeks, respectively. In Experiment 2, the effect of chick size and dietary protein on post hatch performance of Japanese quails was studied. A total of 415 day old unsexed Japanese quail chicks were used for the six weeks growth phase in a completely randomized design of 3 x 3 factorial arrangements. At hatch, quail chicks were grouped according to the various egg sizes of small, medium and large. Chicks from a particular egg weight range constituted a treatment and each 10 treatment placed on three different dietary protein levels. Birds were assigned into 9 treatment combinations with an average of 45 quail chicks per treatment combination for small, medium, and large sized chicks, respectively. It was observed that, the effect of chick size and dietary protein level had significant (P<0.05) effect on the post hatch performance of quail chicks. From this study, the age of Japanese quails had significant (P<0.05) effect on egg size, age and egg size subsequently affected percent fertility and hatchability. The final live weights and average daily weight gains were enhanced by the interaction effect of chick size and protein level mostly favouring the large sized chicks and dietary protein level of 28%, while the best feed conversion ratio and cost per gain were obtained in small sized chicks and dietary protein level of 24%. The result of carcass characteristics were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by chick size and protein level except for the carcass weight and gizzard that were affected by chick size and liver affected by protein level. A positive correlation exists between egg size and chick hatching weight with subsequent effect on post hatch performance of Japanese quails which were influenced by dietary protein levels.

EFFECT OF AGE AND EGG SIZE OF JAPANESE QUAIL HENS ON HATCHABILITY AND POST HATCH PERFORMANCE OF QUAIL CHICKS FED DIFFERENT DIETARY PROTEIN LEVELS

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