EVALUATION OF MEAT AND EGG PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF CROSSBRED LOCAL QUAIL

Abstract

This research was carried out to determine the effect of crossing between the three lines of Kurdish quail on some productive traits depending on plumage color, in order to obtain a genetic combination that is distinguished in productive performance and superior in its performance on pure lines, and to demonstrate 80 quail chicks one-day old for each color (W,D and B)were reared in 8 replication box until reached 42 day was recorded growth performance after that from each replication 2 birds were slaughtered to determined carcass traits. The mating 1males and 3 females to crossing of three line was performed, namely White (W), Brown (B), and Desert (D) including six crosses of W×D, D×W, W×B, B×W, B×D and D×B and three replications for each cross. Birds raised in specific cage with dimensions of 45 x 30 x 30 cm, the egg productive and reproductive traits of the parents and the first generation were measured among 20 week of egg production period. The experiment was designed according to the design of the Factorial Experiment Design to study the effect of the cross, sex and the interaction between them. The study's findings revealed that crosses outperformed regardless over pure line of the effect on the average body weight, weight gain and mortality significantly (P≤0.001) at 42 days, also significant differences were found between pure lines and crosses for carcass traits and the best percentage of dressing, breast and thigh were in females. and for all egg production traits significant differences (P≤0.001) were found in parents and first generation. Crossing significantly affected on Heterosis that highest and positive Heterosis had in the traits daily weight gain, FCR, dressing percentage and egg weight (1.7, 26.2, 4.4, 1.2) respectively.