INCUBATION CONDITIONS AND JAPANESE QUAIL EGG CHARACTERISTICS AS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DIETARY CALCIUM

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.

2 Faculty of Agriculture, Kafr El-Sheikh, Tanta University, Egypt

3 Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt

Abstract

Five groups of 120 Japanese quails were used to study dietary calcium (Ca) levels on slected egg parameters, eggshell thickness, egg­shell porosity and egg weight loss during incubation. egg production, egg wight, feed consumption and feed efficiency were not significantly affected by Ca levels. Shell thickness, specific gravity , shape index, yolk and albumen heights were significantly affected . Loss of egg weight was significantly affected with increasing Ca level in the first three days of incubation than during other stages of incubation. No significant ef­fect of dietary Ca on hatchability of fertile eggs was found. Pore num­bers and shell thickness were significantly (P<0.05) affected in different eggshell regions for Late dead (LD) and hatched (H) eggshell types. Pore numbers decreased significantly with increasing Ca levels for the different eggshell types . Negative (p < 0.05) correlation between shell thickness and pore concentration was recorded in LD type allover the egg regions. Negative correlation (P r 0.05 ) was also recorded in H type among the equator and small end egg regions.

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