Document Type : Research articles.
Authors
Poult. Prod. Dept., Fac. Agric., Fayoum Univ., Egypt.
Abstract
Chicks of three lines of Japanese quail were used to study the
effects of sex, line and age on hematology, growth and carcass traits
in Japanese quail. The first line was selected for high 6 week-body
weight (HBW6) while second line was selected for high 0-6week
growth rate (HGR0-6) for three generations and the third line was
randombred control (RC). Birds at 6 weeks of age had significantly
higher values of live body weight (LBW), carcass%, dressing%,
boneless meat% (BLM%), fat%, protein%, red blood cells (RBCs),
total proteins (TP), globulin (Glob), triglycerides (TG), total lipids
(TL) and growth hormone (GH) than those at 3 weeks of age.
However, birds at 3 weeks of age had the highest hemoglobin (Hb),
white blood cells (WBCs) and albumin (Alb) values as compared
with those at 6 weeks of age. The HGR0-6 line had higher BW6,
performance index (PI), carcass%, dressing%, BLM%, TP, Alb, TL,
triiodothyronine (T3) and ratio of T3 to thyroxine (T3/T4) than other
lines. Females had significantly higher BW, PI, TP, Alb, Glob, TG
and TL than males. Males had significantly higher carcass%,
dressing%, BLM%, GH and T3/T4 than females. Significant line by
age interactions were found for BW, carcass%, dressing%, fat%,
protein%, Hb, PCV%, RBCs, TP, Alb, Glob, GH, T3, T4 and T3/ T4.
It can be concluded that selection has a central role in variations in
plasma constituents, hematological parameters and carcass traits
which are related to differences in age and sex of Japanese quail.
Keywords
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