ABSTRACT
Forty-eight Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) hens were individually
caged and intensively reared for a period of 28 weeks to study the egg production pattern,
egg quality characteristics and the relationships between laying age and repeatability of
egg quality characteristics. The results shows that the 165 days egg production
characteristics of the birds were, egg number 103 + 15, number of clutches 38+6, clutch
size 3.0 +1.0, number of pauses 38 + 4, days pause 54 + 14 and pause length 2.0 + 1.0
days Significant (P<0.05) and positive relationship existed between egg number and
clutch size (r=0.85) which was negatively related with number of clutches, number of
pauses, days paused and pause length (r = -0.46 to -0.72). Age of quail hens significantly
(P<0.01 – 0.05) influenced the measured characteristics, except albumen height, yolk
width, albumen weight and shell membrane thickness, respectively. Body weight, egg
weight and egg breadth increased with increase in age of the quail hens from 12 to 28
weeks while albumen index and haugh unit were decreased within the same period.
Quadratic function was a better estimator of the relationships of age, body weight and
egg weight with the egg quality traits than linear function. Repeatability estimates for
body weight and egg traits ranges from 0.58 to 0.99 for 12 and 28 weeks, respectively.
Repeatability of egg length, yolk plus albumen weight, egg index and shape index
showed a linear relationship with age, where as the remaining traits showed a curvilinear
relationship with age. The general increase in repeatability of each trait with age indicates
that fewer records would be required to adequately characterize the inherent producing
ability of each hen for the trait as laying age progressed. At the age of 28 weeks old the
pullets attained maximum efficiency in repeatability estimates. This study has shown that
viii
Japanese quails attain a peak production of 86% at 12 weeks (84 days) of age. Egg
number increased with clutch size but decreased with number of clutches, number of
pauses, days paused and pause length. The expected relative genetic gain per generation
of selection for repeated records was inversely related to the magnitude of repeatability.
Thus, as laying progressed, repeatability estimates became higher and the expected
genetic gain from using additional records decreased and fewer records were required to
characterize the pullets for inherent transmitting ability. Four eggs per hen are considered
adequate for 12-week egg weight, egg length, egg breadth, albumen width, albumen
height, yolk width, yolk height, yolk plus albumen weight, yolk weight, albumen weight,
shell + membrane weight, shell plus membrane thickness, shell thickness, shell
membrane thickness and haugh unit, 8 eggs are required for albumen index, yolk index,
egg index and shape index. The number of eggs for corresponding traits at 28 weeks is 3
or 4. In conclusion, the egg quality characteristics were modified as the quail hens aged
and the best criterion for judging the shell strength was the egg shape.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. i
Copyright statements .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ii
Declaration .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iii
Certification .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iv
Dedication .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. v
Acknowledgement .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. vi
Abstract .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. viii
Table of contents .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. x
List of tables .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. xiii
List of figures .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. xiv
CHAPTER ONE:
1.0 INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1
CHAPTER TWO:
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW . .. .. .. .. .. .. 5
2.1 Management of Quails .. .. .. .. .. .. 5
2.1.1 Brooding and care of young birds .. .. .. .. .. 5
2.2 Housing and equipment .. .. .. .. .. .. 6
2.3 Light requirement .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7
2.4 Feed formulation and evaluation .. .. .. .. .. 8
2.5 Feed formulation and evaluation .. .. .. .. .. 9
2.6 Nutrition of quails .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10
2.7 Disease prevention and control .. .. .. .. .. 11
2.8 Body weight and growth in quail .. .. .. .. .. 12
x
2.9 On-set of sexual activity(Puberty) … .. .. .. .. 12
2.10 Egg production pattern in quails .. .. .. .. .. 13
2.11 Relationship amongst egg production pattern characteristics .. 13
2.12 Egg weight and egg quality traits .. .. .. .. .. 14
2.13 Estimation of relationship between traits .. .. .. .. 14
2.14 Estimation of genetic parameters .. .. .. .. .. 15
2.15 Repeatability .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16
2.16 Heritability .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17
2.17 Selection .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS.. .. .. .. .. .. 20
3.1 location of the study .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20
3.2 Birds and their management .. .. .. .. .. .. 20
3.3 Data collection .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21
3.3.1 Egg production characteristics .. .. .. .. .. 21
3.3.2 Egg quality characteristics in Japanese Quail .. .. .. .. 22
3.4 Statistical analysis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23
3.4.1 Egg production pattern of Japanese Quails .. .. .. .. 23
3.4.2 Egg quality characteristics in Japanese Quails .. .. .. 23
3.4.3 Repeatability estimate of body weight and egg quality traits in
Japanese Quails .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 RESULTS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 26
4.1 Egg production pattern of Japanese Quails .. .. .. .. 26
xi
4.2 Egg quality characteristics in Japanese Quails.. .. .. .. 28
4.3 Repeatability of body weight and egg quality traits in Japanese quails 35
4.4 The relationship between laying age and repeatability of egg quality
traits in Japanese quails. .. .. .. .. .. .. 46
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 DISCUSSION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70
5.1 Egg production pattern of Japanese quail .. .. .. .. 70
5.2 Egg quality characteristics in Japanese quails .. .. .. 72
5.3 Repeatability of body weight and egg quality traits in Japanese quails 74
5.4 The relationship between laying age and repeatability of egg quality
traits in Japanese quail .. .. .. .. .. .. 76
CHAPTER SIX
6.0 CONCLUSIONS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 79
References .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 80
xii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Means for 165 days egg production pattern characteristics in
Japanese Quails (Cotunix coturnix japonica) .. .. .. ..26
Table 4.2: Correlation relationships amongst egg production pattern
characteristics of Japanese quails .. .. .. .. ..27
Table 4.3: Regression equation for egg number in Japanese Quails .. ..27
Table 4.4 Means for egg quality characteristics in Japanese Quails1
at different ages. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..30
Table 4.5: Comparative efficiency of linear and quadratic relationships between
Egg quality characteristics and age of Japanese quail hens. .. ..32
Table 4.6: Comparative efficiency of linear and quadratic relationship between
Egg quality characteristics and body weight of Japanese quail hens ..33
Table 4.7: Comparative efficiency of linear and quadratic relationships between
Egg weight and egg quality characteristics of Japanese quail hens .. ..37
Table 4.8: Repeatability estimate for the various traits. .. .. .. ..38
Table 4.9: Relative genetic gain per generation of selection based on repeated
Records for 12-week body weight and egg quality traits. .. ..39
Table 4.10: Relative genetic gain per generation of selection based on repeated
Records for 6-week body weight and egg quality traits. … ..40
Table 4.11: Relative genetic gain per generation of selection on repeated records
For 20-week body weight and egg quality traits. .. .. ..41
Table 4.12: Relative genetic gain per generation of selection based on repeated
Records for 24-week body weight and egg quality traits. .. ..42
Table 4.13: Relative genetic gain per generation of selection based on repeated
records for 28-week body weight and egg quality traits. .. ..43
Table 4.14: Repeatability estimates of body weight and egg quality traits at
different ages. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..44
Table 4.15: Comparative efficiency of linear and quadratic relationships between
repeatability of measured traits with laying age .. .. ..45
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The protein consumption from animal origin in Nigeria is significantly lower than
in other countries of the world. According to Siddique, (1996) the annual average deficit
of meat was 3.81 million metric tonnes and the annual average deficit of chicken egg was
6939 million. With the rapid increase in total population and urbanization, the demand
for animal products has been increasing. To meet up the growing demand without
importation, the development of the animal industry is imperative. Efforts should be
directed to rearing animals that are prolific and have short generation intervals such as
pigs, poultry and rabbits (Olubajo, 1976). He further stated that more than 1.68 million
tonnes of beef is needed annually to raise animal protein intake in Nigeria to 25g per
caput per day. This is hardly possible in view of the present situation, where the
economic production of cattle is stationary, if not declining. An immediate solution to
this problem could be by focusing on poultry species with shorter generation intervals
such as quails.
Bannerman, (1952) stated that there are several native quails in Nigeria, such as
the African Blue quail (Excalfactora adansoni) which is found in Bauchi and Plateau
States, the little Button quail (Turnix sylvatica Lepurena) found in central and northern
Nigeria, Quail-Plover or the Bush-Lark quail (Ortyxelos meiffrenii) is found at the
extreme North West of Nigeria. The Harlequim quail (Coturnix delegorguei delegorguei)
is believed to be resident in Africa but subject to periodic migratory movements which
are yet little understood, but believed to be governed by the rainfall. The common quail
(Coturnix coturnix) found around the North East of Nigeria.
The Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) native to Asia, were first
recorded to be domesticated in the 11th century as song birds. They were introduced into
the United States by Fanciers around 1870, but it was not until the early 20th century that
they were recognised as food source (egg production only). Their value as research
animals were realized in the middle 20th century, when favourable comparism between
them and other poultry species were recorded (Cheng and Kinnura, 1990). Since then the
Japanese quails have spread all over the world (Sugiyama, 1991; Nitsan, et al. 1994).
The Japanese quail was introduced into Nigeria 1992 by the National Veterinary
Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, with the support of the Directorate for Food, Road and
Rural Infrastructures (DFFRI) through the importation of fertile eggs from the Republic
of Benin (Haruna, et al., 1997). Currently over one hundred thousand quails are produced
annually for both meat and egg for distribution to farmers as foundation stock for
breeding.
In Nigeria quail farming has witnessed rapid expansion in urban areas, producing
meat, eggs and quail-chicks/pullets. However, quail farming has not yet been popularised
in rural areas. Similarly there have been little empirical studies on the profitability of
commercial quail farming and the socio-economic problems faced by the quail farmers.
Thus impeding recommendation on its production nation-wide.
Recent advances in genetic selection has made today’s quail production quite
different from that of a decade ago. For instance, age at 5 percent egg production is now
earlier and total production has increased. Quails can product 250-280 eggs per year.
Other advantages are shorter generation interval which make it possible to propagate
many generations in a year, early sexual maturity (5- 6 weeks), fast growth rate with the
possibility of attaining market weight of 150- 180 gm in 6 week (Shim and Vohra, 1984).
They have low floor space requirement because of their small body size, low feed
requirement and short incubation period of 17-18 days (Anthony, et al; 1993). They are
highly resistant to the notorious poultry diseases of chicken (Ajaykumer et al; 2000;
Sugiyama, 1991). Their droppings which are high in nitrogen can form good compost for
vegetables and crops (N V R I, 1990). Quail production can be started with very little
capital, and they make excellent materials for biological research because of their size
and short generation interval (Padgett and Ivey, 1959). The climate and natural conditions
of Nigeria are very suitable for quail rearing. Quail can be reared in this country
throughout the year and shows good performance in respect to meat and egg production.
It has a short life cycle and its production requires less capital and land. Quail may be a
source of income in addition to chicken and ducks because of its immense potentiality for
meat and egg production (Paul and Sarker, 1992). In addition, quail meat and eggs are
renowned for their high biological but low caloric value thus making them a choice for
hypertensive prone patients (George, 2002). However, instinct for hatching and caring for
the young is practically absent in domesticated quails (N V R I, 1990). Successful
production therefore, requires artificial means of hatching and caring of the young.
Similarly, quails are not suitable as free range or backyard scavengers, as predating birds,
rats and cats can attack them easily.
In order to cope with the recent ban by federal Government of Nigeria on
importation of exotic poultry products amongst other items, and to improve the protein
intake of Nigeria per day per caput, some measures have to be taken to provide sufficient
animal protein to the citizenry. A good measure is to venture into quail research as a
complement to poultry chicken research. Probably because of the advantages derivable
from them. This study was therefore designed with the following objectives:
i. To determine the 165 days egg production pattern of Japanese quails in the
northern guinea savannah zone of Nigeria.
ii. To determine the relationships between age and egg quality characteristics.
iii. To estimate repeatability of body weight and egg quality traits.
iv. To determine the relationships between laying age and repeatability of egg
weight and egg quality traits.
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