External Quality, Fertility, and Hatchability of Egg from Brown and Black Plumage Quail

Abstract

Besides its role as laboratory animals and research models in poultry species, quail is characterized by fast growth, high reproductive performance, short generation intervals, and lower feed requirements. Research has been carried out to evaluate the characteristics of brown and black plumage quail eggs in Balitnak. A total of 99 quail eggs was obtained from Slamet Quail Farm, Sukabumi, consisting of 50 brown plumage quail eggs and 49 black plumage quail eggs. Eggs were incubated in 1 batch in a portable incubator. The variables observed were the weight of the incubated eggs, length and width of egg, shape index of egg, fertility, hatching ability of fertile, and hatchability of total hatching eggs. All data collected were tested using independent samples t-test to compare variants of plumage color. The results showed that all variables observed between brown and black plumage quails were significantly different (P<0.05). It was concluded that the black plumage quail external quality and reproductive efficiency were higher than the brown plumage quails.