A genetic selection study to determine the effects on egg hatchability and
subsequent chick performance of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) eggs
incubated at 100 F dry bulb temperature (Control, Line C) when compared to other
eggs incubated at 102 F (Selected, Line S) was conducted over 10 consecutive
generations.
Eggs from a randomly mated population (designated as Generation 0) of Japanese
quail maintained at the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station were randomly
allocated to two treatment groups (Lines C and S) and incubated at the different
temperatures in separate but identical Jamesway 252 machines. On day 14 of
incubation all eggs were transferred to a common hatcher (98.5 F). Using family-based
selection, the chicks that hatched from the two lines were subsequently used
as breeders (25 paired matings per line) and the resulting eggs from each line
incubated at their respective temperatures for 10 consecutive generations.
Following the 10th generation percent egg fertility and percent hatch of fertile
eggs were greater in Line C vs. Line S (p<O.O3 and p<O.0001, respectively).
Embryo development time was shortened in Line S by 24 hours and mean 4- or 5-
week body weights were greater (p<0.001) in Line S. Ten-day post-hatch mortality
increased greatly in Line S vs. Line C after generation 6 (p<0.001) and hen-day
egg production decreased after generation 4 in Line S vs. Line C (p<0.0001).
The results indicate that embryo development time can be reduced by high
temperature incubation, but at the expense of reproductive traits such as egg
production, fertility, and hatchability of fertile eggs. / Graduation date: 2005
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/29568 |
| Date | 03 March 2005 |
| Creators | Colvin, Wendy R. |
| Contributors | Savage, Thomas F. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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