Heba Sakour * ⁽¹⁾ and Bushra alissa ⁽¹⁾

 (1). Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Heba Sakour. E-Mail: hebaa.sakour@gmail.com).

Received: 11/07/2023                Accepted: 30/07/2023

Abstract: 

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of egg weight, shape, and shell thickness indicators on hatchability and chicks weight at hatching of Japanese Quail. For this purpose, 405 eggs were used. The eggs were divided into three groups: The first included 135 eggs for weight treatments Pw and was divided in turn into three categories: small eggs Pws (>10 g), medium eggs Pwm (10-12 g), and large eggs Pwb (<12 g), the second included 135 eggs for shape index treatments Ps and was divided in turn into three categories: elongated eggs Ps1 (>73%), normal eggs Ps2 (73-77%), and round eggs Ps3 (<77%), and the third included 135 eggs for shell thickness treatments Pl and was divided in turn into three categories: thin Pln (>0.28 mm), medium Plm (0.31-0.29 mm), and thick Plk (<0.32 mm). The eggs were incubated in the hatchery of the poultry laboratory for 17 days. The research concluded that there was a strong significant correlation (P≤0.05) between egg weight, hatchability, and chicks weight at hatching, and the treatment Pwb gave the best results 92.33% and 9.97 g respectively. It was also noted that there was a significant effect of the shape of the eggs on hatchability and chicks weight at hatching, where the treatment Ps1 achieved the best results 94.31% and 9.89 g, respectively. On other hand, it was found that there were no significant effect of egg shell thickness on hatchability and chicks weight at hatching.

Keywords: Japanese quail, egg weight, shape index, shell thickness.

Full paper in Arabic: pdf