Abstracts Contd.

THE NUTRITIONAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES FOR SODIUM SULPHATE SUPPLEMENTATION OF JAPANESE QUAIL DIETS Faten, A. A. Ibrahim; F. Abdel Azeem* and Nematallah, G. M. Ali* Dep. of Animal Prod., Fac. of Agric., Cario Univ. * Dep. of Poultry Prod., Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ. A total of 315 unsexed one-week-old Japanese quail chicks (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica) were used in this study. The birds were fed on basal diet, the basal corn -soy diet was supplemented with methionine hydroxy analogue calcium salt or anhydrous sodium sulphate to produce the 7 experimental diets as follows: - basal corn- soy diet unsupplemented with methionine (negative control diet), basal corn- soy diet supplemented with 0.1% methionine hydroxy analogue calcium a salt to be positive control diet, basal corn-soy diet supplemented with sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) by 0.10, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5%, respectively. Results obtained were summarized as follows:- Live body weight. Feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio were improved significantly as Na2S04 supplemented in the experimental diets compared to control (basal diet). Protein efficiency ratio and efficiency of energy utilization were significantly improved after Na2SO4 supplementation. Carcass traits including liver, kidneys, heart, gizzard, feather, abdominal fat weights and dressing percentages showed no significant differences among treatments and basal diet except between sexes in some traits (dressing %, liver, heart, and giblets weights %). Na2SO4 supplementation exerted significant effects on all blood parameters except for total protein and globulin. Highest economical efficiency (%) was observed for Japanese quail fed Na2SO4 diets compared to basal diet.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THYROID GLAND AND SOME REPRODUCTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS OF JAPANESE QUAIL REARED UNDER "SHORT DAY" PHOTOPERIOD Azza El-Sebai, M. Abaza, and Samar A. Elnagar Dept. of Poul. Prod., Fac. Of Agric., Alex.Univ., Egypt. A total of ninety Japanese Quail hens from 5 to 12 weeks of age reared under natural lightening conditions (~10h.L: 14h.D) were randomly assigned for 3 treatments of 2 replicates each (15 birds each). Hens were rendered hyperthyroid or hypothyroid by administering DL-Thyroxin at a level of 0.5ppm or 2-Thiouracil (4-Hydroxy-2- mecraptopyrimidine) at a level of 0.1% as feed additives, respectively. The third group of birds was kept as an untreated control to maintain an euthyroid state. Birds developed chemical hyper and hypothyroidism within the first week of receiving DL-Thyroxin and thiouracil treatments, respectively. Effect of hypothyroidism on egg production started to clear out after 3 weeks of thiouracil administration (8 weeks of age), meanwhile hyperthyroidism effects on egg production needed 4 weeks of treatment (9 weeks of age) to differ significantly compared to the euthyroid birds. These effects of treatments were extended till the end of the experimental period where egg production increased by 13% and decreased by 21% with hyper and hypothyroidism, respectively. Fertility of eggs during the last three weeks slightly increased by 5.6% and decreased by 3.34% under hyper and hypothyroidism respectively, compared to the euthyroid control birds. Hyperthyroidism improved hatchability by about 7.3%, whereas hypothyroidism impaired it by about 13.92% compared to the euthyroid birds. Feed consumption increased by 27% under hyperthyroidism, where the decrease in feed consumption associated with hypothyroidism reached 4% compared to the euthyroid birds. On the other hand, feed conversion did not differ significantly among the different treatments till the 9th week of age. In the following 3 weeks feed conversion of the hyperthyroid birds were better than that of the euthyroid birds without reaching significance. Serum total lipids decreased (4%) and rose significantly (5%) under hyper and hypothyroidism, respectively at the 6th week of age, in compare to the euthyroid control. Serum cholesterol and triglycerides followed the same trend. At the 12th week of age, serum calcium and phosphorous concentrations increased and decreased significantly under hyper and hypothyroidism, respectively. From the findings of this study it can be concluded that the addition of DL-Thyroxin at the level of 0.5ppm as a dietary supplementation to the Japanese quail hens diet during the short day length period, led to improve egg production, egg weight and hatchability without affecting their physiological profile.
EFFECT OF HYPER-AND HYPO THYROIDISM INJECTED IN CHICK EMBRYO, ON SOME MEAT TRAITS, ENDOCRINE GLAND AND SOME BLOOD CONTENTS, IN THREE STRAINS (FAYOUMI, DANDARAWI AND R.I.R) H. E. Rizkalla and M. A. El-Hossari Ani. Prod. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Minis. of Agric. Dokki. Cairo, Egypt. A total of 890 incubated eggs were taken by random from three different breeds, the Fayoumi (FF), the Dandarawi (DD) as two native strains, and the Rhod Island Red (R.I.R.) as standard breed of chickens. Before incubation the eggs were injected by Hyper-Thyroidism drug (T4) as first treatment, by Hypo-Thyroidism (Antithyroid material), as second treatment and by distilled water as a control, to study the effect of such drugs on some; meat traits (Body Wt, Carcass Wt, and Giblets Wt), endocrine glands Wt (pituitary, thyroid, adrenal), and blood contents (glucose, T. protein, T. lipids and calcium). The results indicated significant differences between the three breeds concerning the studied treatments and males recorded higher values than the females .Also, results showed that the thyroid glands in FF and DD strains were heavier than in the standard breed R.I.R. Injecting eggs with Hypo-Thyroidism increased live body Wt and carcass Wt at 12 Wk., but not the gizzard Wt . On the other hand, injecting eggs with (T4) has no significant effect on meat traits. Concerning endocrine glands Wt, injecting (T4) or antithyroid material increased pituitary gland Wt, while decreased adrenal gland Wt. The Thyroid gland Wt, was also increased when injecting antithyroid material. Concerning blood contents, injecting (T4) decreased T.protein, T.lipids and the calcium, but increased glucose; while injecting antithyroid material decreased glucose and calcium, but increased T. lipids
CONSTRUCTION OF SELECTION INDEX AND SUBINDICES TO IMPROVE SOME EGG PRODUCTION TRAITS IN JAPANESE QUAIL Hedaia, M. Shalan Ani. Prod. Res. Inst., Agri. Research Center, Cairo, Egypt Data of Japanese quail were collected after three generations of selection. A method of individual selection for egg number was applied in the first and second generations. While different selection indices were applied in the third generation an total of 318 females Japanese quail progeny of 49 sires and 98 dams. Data on egg number (EN), body weight at sexual maturity (BWSM), age at sexual maturity (ASM) and feed efficiency (FE) were utilized to construct different selection indices. The general index for egg production traits was: IG= 1.16 EN 1.25 BWSM + 0.32ASM - 0.80FE. The correlation of this index with the aggregate genotype was 0.90. The genetic progress achieved was 3.17 eggs for egg number, -0.45 gm for body weight at sexual maturity, -1.69 day for age at sexual maturity and 0.11 units for feed efficiency. The efficiency of egg number subindex relative to the main index was the highest (28.24%) compared to all subindices studied.
GENETIC PARAMETERS FOR HATCHING PERFORMANCE IN NAKED NECK AND NORMALLY FEATHERED GENOTYPES OF CHICKEN M. M. Fathi Poultry Production Dept., Faculty of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., Cairo, Egypt Hatching performance and genetic parameters of naked neck (NaNa, Nana) and normally feathered genotypes have been compared and discussed. Heterozygous naked neck (Nana) males and females derived from the same genetic origin were assigned for this experiment. The experiment was carried out under moderate temperature conditions, during spring season. Eggs were collected several times a day for incubation, identified by sire and dam, and individually weighed. Stepwise regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between chick weight at hatching, and egg weight and eggshell characteristics within each genotype. The main results could be abstracted as follows: Higher late embryonic death, especially in non-pipped case and lower hatchability of fertile eggs were observed for NaNa genotype. Egg weight loss (%) between Day 0 and Day 18 of incubation was significantly lower in eggs of Nana genotype. Na gene had a favorable effect on percentage chick weight at hatching. Shell quality of remaining incubated eggshell was higher in naked neck genotypes (NaNa, Nana) compared to normally feathered one (nana), particularly for shell thickness. As expected, heritability estimates of embryonic mortality and egg weight loss were very low (closed to zero). Eggshell weight and thickness were negatively correlated to the relative rate of water loss from incubated eggs within each genotype. There were highly genetic correlation coefficients between egg weight and chick weight for all genotypes, but genetic relationships between chick weight and egg weight loss and shell characteristics were less consistent. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that egg weight had significant effect on chick weight for all genotypes followed eggshell quality traits. While egg weight loss shared in Nana equation only.
EFFECTS OF BLUE EGGSHELL GENE ON LAYING PERFORMANCE AND EGG QUALITY IN DWARF NAKED NECK CHICKENS UNDER TWO DIFFERENT ENERGY LEVELS M. M. Fathi Poultry Prod. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams University, Cairo, EGYPT An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of introducing blue eggshell gene (O) into dwarf naked neck chickens on egg production parameters and egg quality measurements under two different energy levels. The hens having this character (Oodw-NaNa) or not (oodw-NaNa) were distributed into two dietary energy levels (normal and high). The main results could be summarized as mentioned below: Blue eggshell gene significantly decreased broken eggs % under normal level of dietary energy. Egg mass didn't differ between blue eggshell genotype and normal one. Blue eggshell gene improved shell quality (shell percentage and shell thickness), particularly at older age of egg production period. Thickness of membranes and shell organic matter were higher in eggs produced from hens bearing blue gene compared to those of normal hens. Favorable effect of blue eggshell gene on egg weight was existed, but statistically not clear. Yolk percentage was decreased at older age in blue eggshell hens compared to normal counterparts. Blue eggshell gene didn't affect Haugh units either at early or at late stage of egg production. As expected, observed feed consumption was lower in hens receiving high energy level. The last result was coincident with feed conversion improvement. The eggs produced from normal genotype were tended to be more spherical compared to those produced from blue eggshell genotype.
MAXIMIZING IMPROVEMENT OF GENETIC GAIN RESULTING FROM APPLYING SELECTION INDICES IN JAPANESE QUAIL
M. Bahie El-Deen; Hedaia M. Shalan*; and A. M. El-Raffa Poul. Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University *Animal Production Research Institute- El-Dokki - Cairo The present study was carried out at Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, during 2002. A total of 1161 birds of Japanese quail were produced from 74 sires and 148 dams. Studied traits were body weight at 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks of age (BW0, BW2, BW4 and BW6, respectively) and feed conversion for meat production from 4 to 6 weeks of age (FC). Means of BW0, BW2, BW4 and BW6 were 7.44, 59.61, 134.02 and 197.69 g, respectively and FC was 3.98 (g feed/g gain). The economic values for body weight at different ages, and feed conversion were calculated according to the local market prices. Ninteen different selction indices were constructed. The general selection index was: IG = 19.24BW0+0.68BW2+0.033BW4+1.77BW6-3.59FC The general index (I1 or IG) showed that BW4 trait had a least value in rate of overall genetic gain if this trait was omitted from the index. It was clear that omitting BW4, relative efficincy of (I1) showed no change approximately (100% vs.99.44).Also the same trend was noticed in the different reduced selction indices.General selection index (I1) was expected to be more efficient for BW2 and BW6, because it had the largest expected genetic gain (deltaG) (7.01 and 7.02, respectively). It was proved that the general index including BW2 and BW4 will maximize the genetic improvement of body wieght (BW6) of Japanese quail.
INTRODUCING CREST GENE TO ENHANCE PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF NAKED NECK CHICKENS UNDER MODERATE AMBIENT TEMPERATURES A. Galal and M. M. Fathi Poultry Prod. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., Cairo, Egypt A study on the effects of the naked neck gene (Na) in the presence of crest gene (Cr) on the performance of laying hens under moderate temperature were carried out. A total number of 134 females were assigned from F1 of mating between heterozygous naked neck non crest (Nana-crcr) males and normally feathered crest (nana-Crcr) Danadarawi females. The genotypes produced were as follows: Nana-Crcr; Nana-crcr; nana-Crcr and nana-crcr. Pullets were maintained in individually cages from 18 weeks of age up to the termination of the experimental period. Body measurements at sexual maturity, egg production, some physiological parameters and internal egg quality and eggshell measurements were recorded. The main results obtained can be summarized as follows: The Na gene had a slightly negative effect on body weight at sexual maturity, while Cr gene had a slightly positive effect. Body depth at sexual maturity of females did not significantly affected by Na or Cr and consequently double segregation genotypes. Shank length of females significantly increased by Na, Cr and double segregation genes. The presence of Na gene significantly increased comb and wattle lengths compared to normally feathered counterparts. Opposite trend was observed for crest allele. The naked neck genotype attained sexual maturity latter than that of normally feathered sibs. However, crested birds early matured than the normal birds. The disadvantage effect of Na gene on age at sexual maturity could be modified in the presence of Cr gene. The egg weight increased significantly by Na gene, but it insignificantly increased by the presence of Cr and double segregation genes. The Na allele significantly increased shell weight and shell percentage compared to normally feathered sibs. Opposite trend was observed in crest and double segregation genes. The Na gene significantly increased hematocrit value compared to normally feathered counterparts. Opposite trend was observed for plasma calcium and phosphorus.