GENOTYPE AND SEX EFFECTS ON 4-WEEKS BODY WEIGHT OF JAPANESE QUAILS

Abstract

The the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of genotype and sex on 4-weeks body weight of Japanese quails. A total of 1404 fertile eggs were obtained from two different genotypes (Black and White) of Japanese quails. The eggs were marked according to genotype and were incubated for 17 days. At hatch, the weight of the chicks from each genotype was recorded and subsequently on weekly basis until the 28th day. The data collected was analyzed with SPSS (version 16) and means were separated using Least Significant Difference. The results showed that genotype and sex were found to have significant differences (p<0.05) on 4-weeks body weight of Japanese quails. The black quail was significantly heavier (p<0.05) in body weight that the White quails at 7, 21 and 28 days of age. The female quails were also significantly heavier (p<0.05) in body weight than the male quails at 21 and 28 days. The interaction between genotype and sex were not significant on body weight throughout the experimental period. It was concluded that genotype and sex had effect on 4-weeks body weight of Japanese quails. The research therefore recommends the Black genotype over the White genotype and the female over the male Japanese quails when selecting for body weight.