PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF JAPANESE QUAIL FROM THREE DIFFERENT SOURCES
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Date
2012
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES-MANNUTHY,THRISSUR
Abstract
An experiment was carried out in the Department of Poultry Science,
College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kerala Veterinary and Animal
Sciences University, Mannuthy, Kerala to evaluate and compare the growth and
production performance of Japanese quails from Mannuthy (T1), Chennai (T2) and
Namakkal (T3), in cage system of rearing. The Japanese quail hatching eggs were
procured from above sources and hatched out at University Poultry Farm,
Mannuthy. Each group reared together up to five weeks of age. The quails were
housed in layer cages at the end of five weeks. Each treatment had eight
replicates with six birds in each. Performance was evaluated from 0 to 26 weeks
of age. Growth performance was evaluated up to five weeks of age, whereas
production performance was evaluated for five periods (each 28-day period) from
7 to 26 weeks of age. Standard management practices were followed throughout
the study. Feed and drinking water were given ad libitum.
The data showed significant (P≤0.05) differences in mean values of
hatching egg and day-old chick weight among treatments. Hatching egg weight
was higher in T3 (12.19 g) followed by T2 (11.04 g) and T1 (10.80 g), whereas
day-old chick weight was higher in T3 (8.42 g) followed by T1 (7.20 g) and T2
(7.06 g). The mean values for body weight at five weeks of age were higher in T3
(216.04 g) followed by T1 (166.04 g) and T2 (165.70 g), which showed significant
(P≤0.05) difference on statistical analysis. The cumulative mean feed
consumption was lower in T1 (628 g) followed by T2 (633.56 g) and T3 (693.02 g)
up to five weeks of age. The mean value of layer body weight was higher in T3
(318.96 g) followed by T1 (260.64 g) and T2 (246.91 g) at 26 weeks of age, which
showed significant (P≤0.05) difference on statistical analysis. The mean values
observed for age at sexual maturity were nonsignificant among the treatments.
Egg production calculated in terms of quail housed egg number, quail day egg
number, quail housed percent and quail day per cent were nonsignificant among
the treatments from 7 to 26 weeks of age. The cumulative mean values for egg
weight during the period from 7 to 26 weeks of age were higher for T3 (13.78 g)
followed by T2 (12.62 g) and T1 (12.06 g) and the difference was significant
(P≤0.05) statistically. The difference in mean values of egg quality traits among
treatments were significant (P≤0.05). The plumage patterns of Japanese quail
belonging to different sources were similar. The mean values for per cent
livability of T3 (92.33) was comparable with that of T1 (93.80) and T2 (89.50)
during 0 to 5 weeks of age, whereas it was nonsignificant among the treatments
from 7 to 26 weeks of age.
From the results it could be inferred that the Japanese quail from Namakkal
(T3) source, was found better in hatching egg weight, day-old chick weight, body
weight (0 – 26 weeks), age at sexual maturity, egg production, egg weight,
plumage pattern and livability. Even though, there were significant (P≤0.05)
differences in certain traits of egg quality, the differences in values among
treatments were not high numerically. The results also showed that Japanese
quails from Mannuthy (T1) performed well than that of Chennai (T2) source. The
findings of the present study revealed that quails obtained from Namakkal were
most suitable for growth and production performances in Kerala.
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