Production performance and heritability value of different traits of quail under intensive rearing conditions

Abstract

A study was conducted to know the production performance and heritability value of the different traits of Japanese quail. A total of 72 quails were reared in an intensive condition in each parent and offspring generation. The number of eggs produced by the quails was counted from the onset of laying up to 10 weeks and live weight was measured weekly up to 12 weeks of age of the quails. A total of 200 eggs from each generation of the quails were collected at 14-18 weeks of age to assess the external and internal characteristics of the eggs. The heritability value of the traits was estimated using the parent-offspring regression method. The egg production per quail per day of parent and offspring generation from the onset of laying to 10 weeks was 0.60 and 0.61, respectively, and up to a year of egg production a quail laid about 219 to 224 eggs. The average live weight in the parent and the offspring generations up to 12 weeks of age was 132.10 g ± 23.129 and 130.02 g ± 21.546, respectively. The live weight gains of the quails showed an increasing trend with age both in the parent and the offspring generations with a weekly growth rate of 16.95 g and 17.19 g up to 12 weeks of age and after 12 weeks the growth was retarded. Both the external and internal characteristics of the eggs of the quails were numerically higher in the parent generation than in the offspring generation. The heritability value of all traits showed positive except yolk width. It was also found that the heritability value of live weight was higher than the other traits. The results indicated that the traits can be included in the selection index to improve quail production.