Productive performance, egg quality, and hatching traits of Japanese quail lines selected for higher body weight and egg number

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effect of selection for higher body weight (weight based selection = WBS) and egg numbers (egg based selection = EBS) on productivity, egg quality, and hatching traits of Japanese quail for three generations. From a base population of 1125 day-old chicks of Japanese quail, best performing families were allowed to propagate for getting next generation. WBS in G3 presented higher values of feed intake, egg weight, hatching weight. However, egg production and feed conversion ratio were better in EBS during G3. The incidence of embryonic mortality was also lower in the WBS line. In the 8th week egg quality traits differed in the EBS line, however, at the age of the 16th week, the WBS line during G3 revealed the better egg characteristic. Despite the lower egg production, the quails selected for higher 4th-week body weight had better egg quality than those selected for egg type line; hence, the selection for body weight is more beneficial and effective than the egg based selection.