Effects of divergent selection for growth on egg quality traits in Japanese quail
Mohammed A. F. Nasr A C , Mahmoud S. El-Tarabany A and Michael J. Toscano B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Animal Wealth Development Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Egypt.
B Research Centre for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ), University of Bern, Switzerland.
C Corresponding author. Email: Mohammed.nasr@zu.edu.eg; Nasr.maf@gmail.com
Animal Production Science 56(11) 1797-1802 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14911
Submitted: 21 August 2014 Accepted: 22 May 2015 Published: 8 July 2015
Abstract
The experiment was designed to investigate the impact of selection for increased body mass on external and internal egg quality traits of Japanese quail. Three hundred and sixty Japanese quail, divergently selected over three generations for different body mass at 4 weeks of age, were used. Quail were homogeneously divided into three groups each consisting of 120 birds: high body mass (HBM), low body mass (LBM) and Control. ANOVA was used to detect the effect of selection on egg quality. In addition, correlation between external and internal egg quality traits was measured. Our results revealed that HBM quail laid heavier eggs (P = 0.03 compared with LBM but not significantly different with Control quail) with a higher external (shell thickness, shell weight, eggshell ratio and eggshell density, P = 0.0001) and internal egg quality score (albumen weight, P = 0.003; albumen ratio, P = 0.01; albumen height, yolk height, yolk index and Haugh unit, P = 0.0001) when compared with both the Control and LBM. The egg surface area and yolk diameter were significantly higher in HBM when compared with the LBM but not with the Control line. Egg weight was positively correlated with albumen weight (r = 0.54, P = 0.0001), albumen ratio (r = 0.14, P = 0.05), yolk height (r = 0.27, P = 0.0001), yolk weight (r = 0.23, P = 0.002), yolk diameter (r = 0.14, P = 0.05) and yolk index (r = 0.21, P = 0.005) but was negatively correlated with yolk ratio (r = –0.16, P = 0.03). Our results indicate that selection for higher body mass might result in heavier eggs and superior egg quality.
Additional keywords: egg quality, growth, quails, selection.
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