The effect of live weight, male to female ratio and breeder age on reproduction performance in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

 

 

A. Ipek^#; U. Sahan; B. Yilmaz

Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Uludag, 16059, Gorukle, Bursa, Turkey

 

 

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ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to determine the effect of live weight, male to female ratio and breeder age on egg weight and the hatching characteristics in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Female quails at the age of six weeks, were weighed individually and separated into three weight groups depending on their live weights. The groups were classified as light (170-200 g), medium (201-230 g) and heavy (> 230 g). The male quails to be mated with these groups were selected from the individuals with mean live weight of 200-220 g. Groups were placed in the pens at male : female ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5. Egg weight was significantly lower in the light group compared with the eggs obtained from the females with medium and heavy live weight. Egg weight increased in accordance with increasing breeder age. Live weight, male to female ratio and breeder age had a significant effect on fertility and hatchability. Fertility increased with an increase in live weight. The highest fertility was found in the group with male to female ratios of 1:2 and 1:3. Fertility at the ages of 11-14 and 15-18 weeks was higher than those of 7-10 and 19-22 weeks of age.

Keywords: Japanese quail, live weight, male to female ratio, hatchability, breeder age

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Introduction

The main purpose of poultry breeder farms is to produce an optimum number of fertile eggs. Both male and female individuals are important for achieving reproductive success (Altan & Oguz, 1993). Fertility and hatchability are affected by a number of factors (Harris et al., 1984; Mayes & Takeballi, 1984). Changes in many biological features due to the ageing of individual birds or flocks should be expected, as is true for all living organisms (Yannkapoulas et al., 1991). One of the notable differences observed in the egg due to ageing is the increase in egg weight (North & Bell, 1991). A high level of genetic correlation exists between the live weight and egg weight of female breeders (Strong et al., 1978; Marks, 1983). Heavy birds produce heavier eggs than lighter birds (Strong et al., 1978; Marks, 1983; Leeson et al., 1991). Egg weight is critical to the hatchability (Altan et al., 1995), incubation period (Hodgetts, 1988), chick weight (Shanawany, 1987), chick mortality during the first days (Skewes et al., 1988) and performance during later stages in life (Morris et al., 1968; Al-Murrani, 1978). Altan et al. (1998) reported that egg weight in a quail line selected for live weight was affected by the size of ova produced in the ovaries of females and an increase in albumen secretion, although no differences were observed in shell and albumen quality and egg production. One of the main factors affecting fertility is male to female ratio. It is generally acknowledged that fertility decreases with increasing female to male ratio (Koçak & Özkan, 2000).

In this study the three important factors (e.g. live weight, male to female ratio and age) for hatchability results were examined in Japanese quail.

 

Materials and Methods

A total of 537 quails that were raised in pens for six weeks, was used. Upon reaching six weeks of age, female quails were weighed individually and separated into three groups according to their live weights. The groups were classified as light (171-200 g), medium (201-230 g) and heavy (> 230 g). Male quails with a live weight between 200-220 g were selected and placed with the different female groups. Breeder quails classified according to weight groups were placed into pens with dimensions of 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.17 m with 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 male to female ratios. For each of the three weight groups, 18 male-18 female, 12 male-24 female, 9 male-27 female, 7 male-28 female and 6 male-30 female quails were housed in five separate pens.

Respectively, 14 and 16 hours of illumination were applied during the growth and laying periods. All treatment groups were fed a broiler starter diet containing 230 g CP/kg and 12.8 MJ ME/kg during the growth period. A layer diet containing 180 g CP/kg and 11.3 MJ ME/kg was used from the sixth week onwards. The composition and feeding value of the diets, as shown in Table 1, were analysed using the Weende method (Akyıldız, 1984).

 

 

Egg production and mortality were recorded daily. Dead birds were replaced with birds of similar sex, age and live weight to maintain male to female ratios during the experimental period. Eggs obtained from the experimental groups were weighed before being loaded into trays.

Eggs were collected from the pens at breeder ages of 7-10, 11-14, 15-18 and 19-22 weeks and put into incubators. All hatchable eggs were incubated and fertility was determined by microscopically examining the embryonic development of all the eggs that did not hatch. Fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, hatchability of total eggs and early and late-term embryonic mortalities were determined. Mid-term embryo mortalities were observed very rarely in the study. Therefore, these mortalities were given as late-term embryo mortalities. The trial was a randomised-block factorial design. The Minitab (1991) program was used for the evaluation of statistical analyses, and the Duncan's multiple range test was used in the determination of differences between groups.

 

Results and Discussion

The effects of live weight, male to female ratio and breeder age on egg weight, fertility and hatchability in Japanese quails are given in Table 2.

 

 

Egg weight increased significantly with an increase in live weight. These results are in accordance with the research results of inal et al. (1996) and Yalçın et al. (1996). Calculated egg weights were similar to the mean egg weights reported in a number of studies on Japanese quails (Nagarajan et al., 1991; Vilchez et al., 1991; Testik et al., 1993). Breeder age is one of the most important factors to have an effect on the quality of eggs obtained as well as the number and quality of chicks hatched from fertile eggs. One of the marked changes observed in eggs with increased breeder age is the increase in egg weight, not only in chickens (North & Bell, 1990), but also in Japanese quail (Altan et al., 1998). It has been reported that the mean egg weight in Japanese quails was 10 g, and generally exhibited an increase up to five months of breeder age (Nagarajan et al., 1991; Altinel et al., 1996; Nazligül et al., 2001). In this study, egg weight increased significantly with increasing breeder age (P < 0.01). Fertility proved to be significantly higher with increasing breeder age (P < 0.01). These results were similar to the results of the research carried out by Narahari et al. (1988). Türkmut et al. (1999), reported in their study, relating the effects of the selection made for live weight on the reproduction performance of Japanese quails, that the fertility rates increased in the advanced generations of selection. The effect of male to female ratios in the experimental groups on fertility was found to be significant. Experimental results indicated that the best fertility rates were obtained in the groups that had 1M : 2F and 1M : 3F ratios. However, fertility rates declined in 1M : 1F and 1M : 5F groups. Research results were similar to the fertility rates obtained by Narahari et al. (1988), as a result of breeding with different male : female ratios. Uluocak & Okan (1993) emphasized that they obtained the lowest fertility rates from the mating groups of 1M : 1F in their investigation of the effects of mating at different male to female ratios. This is contradictory to reports stating that the highest fertility rates was obtained in 1M : 1F group (Woodard et al., 1973; Altan & Oguz, 1993). The effect of breeder age on fertility rates was found to be significant (P < 0.01). When the fertility data were evaluated in relation to breeder age, fertility rates at the ages of 11-14 and 15-18 weeks were higher than those of 7-10 and 19-22 weeks of age. Altan & Oguz (1993) reported that the fertility rates of quails at the beginning of the laying period were lower compared to the later periods. Woodard et al. (1973) pointed out that hatchability of fertile eggs and fertility in quails declined with ageing.

The effect of live weight on the hatchability of fertile eggs and hatchability of total eggs was significant (P < 0.01). Lower hatchability of fertile eggs was observed in the group with low live weight compared with the eggs obtained from the quails in the medium and heavy weight groups, while no statistical difference was noted between the eggs obtained from medium and heavy weight quails with respect to hatchability of fertile eggs. However, hatchability of total eggs increased with increasing live weight. These results are similar to the results of the studies in which a higher hatchability of total eggs was recorded in the heavy line compared with the light line (Darden & Marks, 1988; Marks, 1991).

The effect of male: female ratios on the hatchability of fertile eggs was found non-significant, whereas the effect of this ratio on the hatchability of total eggs was significant. Begin & Maclaury (1974) stated that differences occurred in the hatchability of fertile eggs in quails with an increase in age of breeder females, hatchability being inversely proportional with age. Woodard et al. (1973) reported that hatchability of fertile eggs declined with increasing age in quails.

 

Conclusions

Considering all these results and evaluations, live weight, male : female ratio and breeder age were determined to be crucial on reproduction characteristics in quails. Positive advances will be obtained in the egg weight, fertility ratio, and hatchability of fertile eggs when breeder farm managers use birds with high live weight as breeders when forming breeder flocks. It was evident that 1M : 2F and 1M : 3F ratios could be suitable ratios, depending on the conditions of operations. Optimum breeder renewal age, fertility and hatchability results should be determined via economical analysis in breeder managements.

 

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# Corresponding author. E-mail: bilgehan@uludag.edu.tr