Effect of Hatching Egg Weight on the Performance of Hatchery and Post-hatching Characteristics for Japanese Quails

The aim of study was to determine the possible effects of the egg weight on the hatchery and post-hatching characteristics for Coturnix coturnix japonica. In this sense, a total of 1200 eggs of Japanese quails were categorized based on their weights as, ≤10g, 11g, 12g, 13g and ≥14g (5 groups). For main hatchery characteristics fertility rate, hatching, hatchability, embryonic mortalities were determined. Moreover general performance, hatching weight, live body weight gain for 6 weeks, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency and mortality rate were also studied. Fertility rates, for each groups, were found to be 91.07, 86.51, 90.38, 83.57 and 78.71%, respectively. Hatchability ratio for each group were recorded as 64.71%, 51.60%, 57.14%, 58.12% and 50.82%. Hatchability for each groups, were found to be 58.93, 44.64, 51.65, 48.57 and 40.00% respectively. The weight of chicks for each groups were 6.50g, 6.97g, 7.50g, 8.19g and 8.58g, respectively. Following the hatching, their weights at the end of the 6th weeks for each groups, were recorded as 185.31g, 183.28g, 187.61g, 194.80g and 189.58g, respectively. Feed conversion efficiency for each group also were 4.75, 4.42, 4.70, 4.53 and 4.86, respectively. The best feed conversion efficiency was observed in the second group