The effect of live weight and age on egg quality and hatchery performance in quail parents

This research was conducted to determine the effect of live weight and age on egg quality criteria and hatching performance in quails. Trial material quails consisted of 500 chicks obtained as a result of hatching activity from breeder quails raised in the Çukurova University Faculty of Agriculture Research and Application Farm Quail Unit. At the end of the 5-week growth period, quails were divided into 3 groups according to their live weight females light (≤ 290 g), medium (290-310 g), and heavy (310 g ≤). No selection was made in male individuals, animals with a bodyweight close to the average were evenly distributed to each group. 54 females and 18 males were used in each experimental group and it was planned as 3 replications (18 females/6 males). During the 5-week growing period, quails were fed broiler feed containing 22% crude protein and 3000 kcal/kg ME. After the 5th week, during the laying period, egg feed containing 17% crude protein and 2750 kcal/kg ME was given. The quails were given feed and water ad-libitum, lighting was applied 24 hours natural+artificial for the first five weeks, and 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness were applied during the laying period. The internal and external quality of eggs were examined in randomly taken eggs from each group at the ages of 10-14-18-22 and 25 weeks in quails selected according to different live weights. On the other hand, in order to determine the hatching performance of live weight and age, hatching performance criteria were examined in eggs collected for one week at the ages of 10-14-18 and 22 weeks. It was determined that weight and age had a significant effect on egg quality criteria in experimental groups. In terms of hatching characteristics, significant differences were observed between the weight groups in favor of the light group. Significant differences were also found in age groups, and as age increased, fertility rate, hatchability, and hatching rate of fertile eggs increased.