A. O. Abdulraheem Genetic Relationship Between External and Internal Egg Quality Traits of Japanese Quails
Abstract
This work investigated genetic relationships between external and internal egg quality characteristic of Japanese quails reared at Livestock Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri. Borno state. A total of 440 eggs produced by 110 quail hens, were used for egg quality traits analysis. Quails were grouped into young-laying (10 weeks old) and old-laying (20 weeks old). Variance and covariance components and genetic correlations were estimated using Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) procedures. The genetic correlations for egg quality traits of young- and old-laying were low to high (0.05 to 0.97, -0.01 to -0.74; 0.01 to 0.98, -0.02 to -0.83). The highest positive estimate (0.97) was recorded for yolk height and shell weight and least 0.05 between egg shape index and albumen length. Negative co-efficient was highest (-0.74) between albumen weight and shell ratio in young-laying group, indicating that shell ratio would have antagonistic effect on improvement of albumen weight. For old-laying quails, positive correlation was highest (0.98) for egg and albumen weight, implying that, heavy eggs would have large albumen. Highest negative correlation (-0.83) observed between shell and albumen ratio indicates that eggs with large albumen laid by old quail would possess delicate shell quality. Egg weight of young-laying group had positive correlations with all internal qualities except Haugh unit (-0.11) and albumen index (-0.40); and except Haugh unit (-0.09) and yolk index (-0.20) in old-laying. These findings suggest that egg weight can be used to improve internal egg qualities in laying quails.
Downloads
References
Abdulraheem, A.O., Magaji, A. S., Raji, A.O. and Jibrin, A. (2022). Heritability and repeatability estimates of egg quality traits in Japanese quails reared in Northeastern Nigeria. Proceedings of the 47th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Society for Animal Production:186-189, 13th -17th March, 2022, University of Jos and Federal College of Forestry, Jos, Plateau State.
Abdulraheem, A.O., Raji, A.O., Aliyu, J. and Alade, N.K. (2024). Heritability estimates for body weight and morphological traits of Nigerian indigenous chickens in Borno state. Proceedings of 29th Annual Conference of Animal Science Association of Nigeria, 117-121, 8th -12th September, 2024, Lagos, Lagos state, Nigeria.
Adio, S., Ijaiya, A.T., Egena, S.S.A., Afolabi, F. and Olalere, H.W. (2019). Carcass characteristics of Japanese quails fed diets containing graded levels of sundried cassava peel meal flavoured with molasses as a replacement for maize. 44th Annual Conference of Nigerian Society for Animal Production (NSAP)-Abuja 2019.
Alaku, S.O. (1983). The influence of season on birth weight, body weight at 3, 12 months in Wadama cattle in the Sahel region of Northeast, Review of Animal Production, 23-32.
Aliyu, J., Abdulraheem, A.O., Raji, A.O. and Alade, N.K. (2024). Heritability estimates for egg production traits in six plumage-type indigenous chickens in some northeastern states of Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Genetics, 38(1):89-101.
Altinel, A. Gunep, H., Kirmizibayrak, K., Coreki, S. G. and Bilal, T. (1996). The studies of egg quality characteristics of Japanese quails. Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 22(1):203-213.
Becker, W.A. (1985). Manual of Quantitative Genetics (4th ed). Academic Enterprises, Pullman, Washington, U.S.A.
El-Deen, M.B., Shebi, N.K., Abd Allah, G.A. and Debis, A.B. (2008). Using selection index to improve some performance traits in Japanese quail females. Egypt Poultry Science 25:449-460.
Encarta, (2007). Microsoft Students Encarta Dictionary. Microsoft Corporation inc.
Harvey, W.R. (1990). Mixed Model Least Square and Maximum Likelihood Computer Programme (LSMLMN) PC-2 VERSION. Ohio state University, Columbus, pp 59(Mimeograph).
Ikpeme, E. V., Kooffreh, M. E., Udensi, O. U., Ekerette, E. E., Ashishie, L. A. and Ozoje, M. O. (2016). Multivariate-based genetic diversity analysis of three genotypes of Nigerian local chickens (Gallus domesticus). International Journal of Science and Research Methodology, 5(2):1-12.
Kellou, K.M. (2005). Development of multinational blocks for dry season supplementary feeding of sheep in a semi-arid environment. M.Sc. Thesis: Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria pp23-38.
Kul, S. and Seker, I. (2004). Phenotypic correlations between some external and internal egg quality traits in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). International Journal of Poultry Science 3(6):400-405.
Nano, (2024). Egg quality characteristics of two strains of chicken in Maiduguri. Final year Project, Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria, pp 41.
Nasrollah, V. (2008). The Japanese quail: A Review. International Journal of Poultry Science 7(9):925- 931.
Odubote, I.K. (1996). Genetic parameters for litter size at birth and kidding interval in the West African Dwarf goats. Small Ruminant Research, 20:261-265.
Randall, M. and Bolla, G. (2008). Raising Japanese Quail. Ptimefact 602. 2nd edition. www.dpi.nsw.gove.au/primefacts.
Sezer, M. (2007). Heritability of exterior egg quality traits in Japanese quail. Journal of Applied Biological Sciences1(2):37-40.
Sezer, M. (2008). Heritability of interior egg quality traits for Japanese quail. International Journal of Natural and Engineering Sciences, 2(2):77-79.
Shim, K.F. (2004). Nutrition and Management of Japanese (Coturnix) Quail in the Tropics. That Quail place; all about game birds, 22-28.
Skewes, P.A., Wilson, H.R. and Mather, F.B. (1988). Correlations among egg weight, chick weight and yolk sac weight in bob-white quail (Coturnix virginianus). Florida Science, 51:159-162.
Yahaya, B., Abdu, I., Adamu, J.L. and Khalid, S.A. (2023). Phenotypic correlation between egg quality traits of Nigerian unimproved (indigenous) and improved (Noiler) chicken genotypes. Nigerian Journal of Animal Science, 6(2):57-70.
Zhang, I.C., Ning, Z.H., Xu, G.Y., Hon., Z.C. and Yang, N. (2005). Heritability and genetic and phenotypic correlations of egg quality traits in brown-egg dwarf layers. Poultry Science 84(8):1209-1213
