GENETIC PARAMETERS OF BODYWEIGHT AND SOME ECONOMIC IMPORTANT TRAITS IN THE JAPANESE QUAIL (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

GENETIC PARAMETERS OF BODYWEIGHT AND SOME ECONOMIC IMPORTANT TRAITS IN THE JAPANESE QUAIL (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract:

This experiment was conducted to study the genetic estimates for body weight and some economic important traits in Japanese quail from a foundation stock of 784 chicks, which were sexed at day 21. Selected birds of 50 sires and 150 dams based on body weight were used as parents G0 (Unselected generations) for the next generation. Data were collected over two consecutive hatches for G1 ( selected generation one) and G2 ( selected generation two) and records collected at day 35, 42, 49 and 56 from males and females to determine the effect of selection on age and body weight at sexual maturity; the trend of growth in body weight, body length, egg quality characteristics, egg production, carcass traits in generations, sex and age of Japanese quail; the effect of sex and age on breast meat quality of Japanese quail; the rate of genetic improvement in reproductive traits, body weight, egg traits, carcass traits, mineral and chemical composition of meat in Japanese quail and the genetic parameters (h2) based on individual selection for body weight at different ages, reproductive, egg production, minerals, chemicals, and carcass traits of Japanese quail. The results indicated that sexual maturity characteristics in female Japanese quail such as age at sexual maturity, body weight, egg weight, follicle size, oviduct weight, ovary weight, pectoral major weight and abdominal fat weight varied significantly (P with selection. Also in males body weight at day 35, age at sexual maturity, body weight, testicular weight, pectoral major weight and abdominal fat weight varied significantly (P with selection. Live body weight, body dimensions, carcass traits in males and females after selection increased between, age and sex at day 35, 42, 49 and 56 in both males and females birds. At day 56, carcass weight, % carcass weight, abdominal fat weight, % abdominal fat weight, breast weight, drumstick + thigh weight, % drumstick + thigh weight, back bone weight, % back bone weight and body length and body part lengths also improved with selection. Females had higher part weights than males (P Egg quality traits increased with generations and as birds advanced in age so also did the meat quality of Japanese quail affects both the males and females water holding capacity, cooking loss, lightness, chroma colour and as birds advances in age it affects the % drip loss of the meat, cooking loss, lightness and chroma colour significantly (P. It can be deduced from the result that there was genetic improvement in body weight, growth rate of shank length, sexual maturity in males and females traits, reproductive traits, egg traits, carcass weight, minerals and chemical composition in meat of Japanese quail. Japanese quail shows improvement in body weight, parts and dimension in both sexes, but females were heavier than males possibily because of their genetic make-up. Selection increase egg size with advances in age but decreases egg shell. The realized heritability for carcass weight, mineral composition and chemical composition ranged mostly between 0.38 to 0.08. However, the realized heritability estimates for body weight at day 35 and 42, egg quality traits, egg production traits were high, therefore, Breeders can select for those traits because of their genetic merits.

GENETIC PARAMETERS OF BODYWEIGHT AND SOME ECONOMIC IMPORTANT TRAITS IN THE JAPANESE QUAIL (Coturnix coturnix japonica)