2. Higher rates of fertility and hatchability of Japanese quail eggs were observed from parents of 10 to 19 weeks of age, with peak fertility and hatchability at 14 and 12 weeks of age, respectively.
3. Sex ratios of 1:2 to 1:5 gave comparable fertility and hatchability results.
4. The hatching performance of quail eggs from cage and deep litter reared breeders was comparable.
5. Fertility and hatchability were directly proportional to the egg weight.
6. Quail egg shell colour, tints and blotches were found to influence hatching performance.
7. Storing quail eggs at 16 ± 2°C and 75 ± 5% relative humidity for more than 4 d reduced hatchability.
8. Hatchability of eggs stored at room temperature was improved if they were sealed in polyethylene bags.
9. Provision of light during the first 14 d of incubation resulted in a photo‐acceleration of about 3.2 h. 相似文献
2. Hens of the population with the high incidence of whitening appeared to be more fearful than hens of the population with the low incidence of whitening.
3. Brown colouration of the egg shell and the incidence and degree of shell whitening declined as the hens aged.
4. Brown colouration and egg shell whitening were most pronounced on the blunt ends of the eggs.
5. A large part of the variation in egg shell whitening was attributable to the individual (hen) component of variance.
6. Differences in egg shell whitening, between the two populations, were detectable throughout the 26 weeks of the experiment.
7. Oviposition intervals were similar for normal and coated eggs when birds were not exposed to disturbance.
8. Disturbance of hens increased oviposition intervals and the incidence and degree of shell whitening, to a similar extent, in both populations.
9. It is concluded that stress‐related egg retention is not the sole factor responsible for abnormal egg shell whitening. Shell whitening may occur as a consequence of the premature termination of shell pigmentation as well as a consequence of the retardation of oviposition which occurs when hens are disturbed. 相似文献
The aim of this experiment was to determine the profit returned at 12 weeks by broiler chickens hatched from eggs ranging in weight from 44 g. to 58 g. at one gram intervals and to determine how competitive and separate rearing might modify the relationship.
A total of 6000 eggs were collected during 10 days from a 28‐week‐old, broiler breeding flock and graded into the above mentioned egg weight classes. From these, a total of 3480 day‐old broilers were housed. Each egg weight class was equally represented and balanced for sex.
Hatchability and fertility showed no consistent trend with egg weight for eggs above 46 g., but below the 47 g. level there was a trend of declining fertility and hatchability.
A strong positive relationship was found between the weight of the chick at 1 day of age and egg weight for both males and females with no significant difference overall in body weight between the two sexes.
Body weight to 12 weeks was found to be strongly related to egg weight, in a linear fashion, though this influence declined with age.
There was a greater influence of egg weight on body weight at all ages in the separate rearing treatment compared with competitive rearing but this was not significant after 10 weeks.
Egg weight had an important bearing on body weight and profit at 12 weeks, but no effect on food conversion or mortality.
The increased profit over food costs per 100 day‐old chicks was found to be 52.75 cents for the separately reared birds respectively for each 3 g. increase in egg weight. 相似文献
2. There was no effect of age at restriction (15 to 18 compared with 19 to 22 weeks) on the number of yellow follicles.
3. The treatment with the larger body weight of two groups given the same degree of restriction (maintenance) had more follicles than the treatment which had a smaller body weight.
4. There was a positive linear relationship between the number of yellow follicles and body weight and food intake. Addition of the weight of fat or age at first egg to the model increased the residual mean squares.
5. The proportion of atresia among yellow follicles and the incidence of internal ovulation increased with body weight at first egg.
6. It was concluded that the physiological processes occurring during rearing which underlie ovarian function are reflected solely in the body weight and food intake of broiler breeders at first egg. 相似文献
2. The response in shell thickness to ahemeral lighting was more rapid (2.2 d) than for egg weight (4.2 d).
3. Differences between genotypes were evident in both the speed and magnitude of response.
4. Overall, egg weight and shell thickness on the 28‐h cycle were 7% and 8% greater than on 24 h.
5. The allometric increase indicates that the increase in shell weight was on average 14% more than the increase in egg weight. 相似文献
2. During the last 7 years a random breeding sample of the production flock served as a genetic control.
3. Regressions of deviations of the production flock from the control flock on years, were highly significant for age at sexual maturity (‐2.18 d), egg production up to 275 d old (3.04 eggs), egg production to 500 d old (5.04 eggs) and egg weight at 14 months old (October) ( — 0.79 g).
4. The heritability of egg production up to 275 d old declined significantly from 0.35 to 0.19.
5. The realised heritability of egg production up to 275 d old was estimated to be 0.14.
6. The genetic correlation between egg production up to 275 d old and production in the residual part of the year was 0.48.
7. The rate of inbreeding in the production flock was 0.515% per generation and the expected rate of inbreeding in the control flock 0.21% per generation. 相似文献
2. High stocking rate (18 birds/m2) adversely affected weight and food conversion efficiency. Performance of females was more sensitive to stocking rate than that of males. Stocking rate x strain interactions in weight and food conversion efficiency at 8 weeks were highly significant.
3. Carcass dissection showed a marked difference between males and females.
4. Stocking rate merits further attention in respect of strain and sex. 相似文献
2. The water vapour conductance of fowl and Muscovy duck egg shells was not affected by the treatment.
3. Cuticle removal increased the conductance of turkey and goose shells, particularly those already relatively porous to water vapour.
4. Removal of cuticles from domestic duck egg shells increased water vapour conductance. In this case the effect was most marked for eggs with lower initial conductances.
5. The differing patterns of resistance to water vapour loss associated with egg shell cuticle are related to the ultrastructure of the cuticle itself, especially the number and size of cuticular fissures.
6. The results suggest that egg shell cuticle is a component in a series of resistances associated with the egg shell and that the use of Fick's Law is insufficient to explain water vapour diffusion across the shell.
7. Embryo survival may be improved by cuticle removal, though this may be limited to those species in which the cuticle restricts water vapour loss in initially low conductance egg shells. 相似文献
2. Replacing groundnut oil cake (GNC) by Niger oil cake (NC) on an isonitrogenous basis, did not affect egg production, egg weight or the amount of food required per dozen eggs.
3. The percentage retention of nitrogen from diets containing 30% GNC or 30% NC was similar.
4. The ME value of NC used was 3025 kcal/kg.
5. It is concluded that NC can replace GNC in layers’ diets. 相似文献
2. Yolk cholesterol concentration decreases between 20 and 30 weeks of age, and then remains constant until 70 weeks of age. Yolk total lipid concentration increases to a maximum at 40 weeks of age before decreasing to its original value at 60 and 70 weeks of age.
3. Bird means for yolk cholesterol and total lipid concentration are negatively related at 20 weeks of age, and essentially independent for the remainder of the first year of egg production.
4. Variation for yolk cholesterol concentration between 30 and 70 weeks of age appears to be a consequence of differences in the proportion of cholesterol to other lipid components.
5. Uptake of plasma lipoproteins characteristic of the immature bird is likely to be responsible for the high yolk cholesterol concentration at 20 weeks of age. 相似文献
2. Hen housed egg production was lower on litter (208 to 235) than in cages (230 to 253). However, the estimated 52‐week values for litter were comparable to or better than standards published by the National Farmers’ Union.
3. Ambient temperatures were well controlled in both houses, but atmospheric dust and ammonia were a problem in the litter system and ammonia was a problem in the deep pit cage house. Litter condition was good at all stocking densities.
4. There was a trend for production to increase with stocking density on litter, but to decrease in cages.
5. Most egg quality variables were similar in the two systems, although there were more dirty eggs from litter and shell thickness was slightly greater in eggs from cages.
6. Body weight increase was initially faster in birds on litter; caged hens were equally heavy by the end of lay, but a greater proportion of their body mass was lipid.
7. The severity of feather damage and loss was correlated with stocking density for hens both on litter and in cages, being worse at the higher densities. Median cage scores were greater than values from litter at low densities but less than those from high densities. Beak trimming reduced feather damage on litter but had no effect in cages.
8. Mortality was low (1 to 3%) for all flocks, except those in year 3 which had not been beak trimmed and which suffered from cannibalism both in cages and on litter. 相似文献
2. Treatments did not affect egg numbers, food consumption, conversion efficiency of food to egg, bodyweight gain or mortality.
3. Increasing dietary calcium (Ca) significantly increased plasma Ca and inorganic phosphorus (P), breaking strength at the radius and egg specific gravity and significantly decreased plasma alkaline phosphatase and egg weight.
4. Increasing dietary phosphorus increased plasma P and decreased egg specific gravity significantly.
5. Plasma Ca, P and alkaline phosphatase and radius breaking strength were suitable indices of the Ca status of the hens. 相似文献
2. Breeder hens fed ad libitum and subjected to either conventional or intermittent lighting ingested respectively, 25 g and 14 to 17 g more than hens restricted to 115 g/d.
3. Body weight was greater in hens fed ad libitum irrespective of the lighting pattern and of the amount of food intake.
4. Persistency of egg production was impaired by intermittent lighting.
5. Ad libitum feeding reduced egg fertility. The decrease was larger in breeder hens on intermittent lighting.
6. Hatchability was increased in hens submitted to the symmetrical lighting pattern (0.5L:3.5d).
7. Egg and chick weights were higher in hens fed ad libitum.
8. Shell index and shell breaking strength increased in restricted hens on the intermittent lighting pattern (0.5L:3.5d) × 6.
9. The best performance was obtained in restricted hens on the conventional lighting pattern. 相似文献
2. Age at 50% production was significantly affected by both lighting treatment and rearing regimen.
3. The light pattern treatments had no significant effect on any cumulative performance variable measured from 20 to 80 weeks of age.
4. Breed had a significant effect on eggs/hen housed, rate of lay, egg weight, egg output and food intake.
5. Rationing feeding during rearing, by holding intake at its 6‐week level from 6 to 14 weeks of age, was associated with significantly lower egg production, but had no effect on egg weight or food intake during lay.
6. Although both rearing and light treatments influenced age at 50% production, this character was not correlated with egg weight or egg production.
7. It is suggested that modern hybrid laying stocks are so genetically predisposed to ovulate that they are becoming refractory towards treatments hitherto regarded as influential. 相似文献
2. Egg, yolk, albumen and shell plus membrane weights increased, whereas the egg shape, specific gravity and shell thickness decreased between 49 and 154 days of age.
3. Yolk, albumen and shell plus membrane comprised 32–59%, 53–57% and 7–80%, respectively of the total egg weight.
4. Regression between the quail's age and the characteristics of eggs were derived and correlation coefficients ranged from —0–42 to — 0–86. The albumen weight was more highly correlated with egg weight than yolk weight.
5. Relationships were also derived between egg shape and specific gravity, and egg shape and albumen weight.
6. It was concluded that the eggs’ characteristics were modified as the quails aged, and the best criterion of the shell's strength was the egg shape. 相似文献
2. Differences in the 4 genotypes, additive direct and maternal crossbreeding effects and heterosis were estimated on the following traits: age at first egg, egg production to the ages of 30, 35, 40 and 52 weeks of age, egg weight at 30 weeks of age, and (egg) fertility by artificial insemination with Muscovy drakes’ pooled semen.
3. Egg production up to 52 weeks of age was higher in Ts than in Pk (respectively 214 ± 7 and 150 ± 8 eggs), but not statistically different from that of the reciprocal crossbreds. The ratio of settable eggs to total eggs was nearly 90%, without any difference between genotypes.
4. Average egg weight at the age of 30 weeks was 75 ± 0.9 g for Pk, which was higher than the corresponding values for Ts (62 ± 0.8 g), but not significantly different from the crossbreds.
5. An effect of genotype was found on egg fertility: the Pk strain exhibited the lowest value, 71.3 ±3.1% compared with 75.9 ±2.1% for Ts, 80.6 ± 2.6% for Ts × Pk and 74.6 ± 1.9% for Pk × Ts.
6. Crossbreeding genetic variables showed favourable direct genetic effects for egg production and (egg) fertility in Ts, while Pk had favourable direct genetic effects on egg weight. The Pk genotype had a favourable maternal effect on fertility. Direct heterosis was 34% and 10% for egg production up to 30 and 52 weeks of age respectively, 8.8% for egg weight and 5.4% for (egg) fertility.
7. Crossing Ts with Pk seems profitable for the production of mule ducklings. 相似文献
2. Activities were higher in birds in cages than in those on the floor, reflecting perhaps the stress of caging. Activities increased with age.
3. Activities were higher in pullets selected for higher production.
4. The type of housing had no effect on egg production, but age at first egg, egg weight and 40‐week body weight were found to be affected significantly. 相似文献
2.?A total of 1500 hen eggs (Ross-308) were measured by TOBEC, and eggs with extremely high (10%, n = 150), extremely low (10%, n = 150) and average (10%, n = 150) electrical conductivity values were chosen for further investigation.
3.?During the incubation period, it was observed that eggs with high electrical conductivity had a significantly higher mortality than eggs with low electrical conductivity.
4.?It was observed that both the increase in electrical conductivity at the same egg weight, and the increase in egg weight at the same electrical conductivity resulted in an increase in the hatching weight.
5.?It was found that the dry matter, protein and fat content of the chicks hatched from eggs with low electrical conductivity was higher at hatching than that of the chicks hatched from eggs with high electrical conductivity.
6.?At 42 d of age the liveweight of cocks and pullets hatched from eggs with low electrical conductivity was 3·2 and 8·2% higher than the liveweight of cocks and pullets hatched from eggs with high electrical conductivity.
7.?Because of the higher liveweight at slaughter, there was a significant superiority of the chicks hatched from eggs with low electrical conductivity in the case of the examined carcase traits at slaughter.
8.?Similar tendencies were found also in the ratios of carcase variables to liveweight, but the between group differences were not statistically significant in this case.
9.?Based on the results it was concluded that TOBEC seems to be a useful method for separating eggs with different composition.
10.?This could be a good starting point for further in vivo investigations in order to clarify the effect of egg composition on hatchability and further development. 相似文献
2. The inclusion of AA improved egg production, food intake and efficiency of utilisation, and decreased the cost of food per kg egg. The addition of 400 mg AA/kg diet gave the most efficient performance.
3. Palm oil inclusion reduced the effect of heat stress and increased egg production, egg weight, food intake and efficiency of utilisation.
4. When 200 mg AA and 50 g palm oil/kg were used, additive responses were obtained with further improvements in egg production, food cost and efficiency.
5. Ascorbic acid and palm oil when fed alone or in combination reduced the incidence of cracked eggs.
6. Thus, 400 mg ascorbic acid/kg of diet, 50 g palm oil or 200 mg AA plus 50 g palm oil/kg diet ameliorated the effects of heat stress in laying hens. 相似文献
2. Because the traditional method of determination of droppings digestibility coefficients of nitrogen may lead to systematic errors in estimating the feeding value of foodstuffs, a method is proposed to determine the ileal digestibility coefficients. The ileal method is compared with the droppings method for a mixed food and for two foodstuffs: wheat and solvent‐extracted soyabean meal.
3. Birds selected for efficient food conversion showed distinctly higher digestibility coefficients for all nutrients than birds selected for high growth potential or birds from a commercial strain.
4. The influence of age on digestibility coefficients was not consistent.
5. Female birds showed digestibility coefficients which were, in general, 3% higher than those of male chickens.
6. Interactions between genotype and sex and between genotype and age for energy metabolisability were the only interactions observed for digestibility measurements.
7. The method of determination influenced the amino acid digestibility coefficients of the mixed food and the relative feeding values of wheat and soyabean meal.
8. It is important to use well defined animals (genotype, sex, age) in evaluating foodstuffs.
9. The preferred method for determination of digestibility coefficients of nitrogen and amino acids is based on ileal sampling, although the differences in amino acid digestibility coefficients were small between methods. 相似文献