Meat Yield Potentiality of the Plumage Color Mutations of Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)

Abstract

In this study, the Wild-type and recently-isolated five color-mutations of Japanese quail were compared for their meat yield potentialities. Results showed that the color-mutations; BB-White, BB-Tuxedo, BB-Black, BB-Dhakaya and the Wild-type quail were more fertile (p BB-Dhakaya > BB-White > BB-Tuxedo > BB-Black > Wild. The Wild, BB-Tuxedo, BB-White and BB-Black were superior (p BB-Tuxedo > BB-Dhakaya > BB-Black > Wild > BB-Rosetta. This study suggested that the isolated color-mutations were not equal for majority of their characteristics measured and none of them was completely superior or inferior to the Wild-type. The BB-White, BB-Tuxedo, BB-Dhakaya and BB-Black were superior to the Wild-type quail for their combined performance index on the meat production potentialities. However, among the four superior mutations, the BB-White might get priority in meat-type quail development due to its resemblance to the modern chicken broilers.