Effects of Selection for Four Week Body Weight on Slaughter, Carcass, and Abdominal Fat and Some Organ Weights and Blood Serum Parameters in Japanese Quail

This research was carried out to determine the genetic effects of divergent selection under two different selection pressures for four week body weight over three generations on slaughter weight, carcass weight, abdominal fat and some organ weights and blood serum parameters in Japanese quail. Birds were weighed individually. Individual selection for body weight was carried out at four weeks, separately for each sex. The proportion kept was 10 % for males and 30% for females in 10Y and 10D lines, and 20% for males and 60% females in 20Y and 20D lines. 10Y and 20Y lines were selected for high body weight,10D and 20D lines were selected for low body weight. Slaughter weight, carcass weight, carcass yield, abdominal fat weight, organ weights and organ yield of female quails were affected by selection. Carcass characteristics of male quails except abdominal fat and yield changed by selection. Slaughter weight, carcass weight and yield, abdominal fat weight and yield, liver weight of female quails and slaughter weight, carcass weight and yield, liver weight and yield of male quails were affected by lines. However, sex organ weights and yields in both sexes were similar between lines. Average slaughter weight, carcass weight, abdominal fat weight, liver weight, ovarium weight, oviduct weight over the generations in the female quails were 197.53 g, 122.05 g, 1.16 g, 5.77 g, 5.27 g, 6.03 g respectively. Slaughter weight, carcass weight, abdominal fat weight, liver weight, testes weight over the generations in male quails were 173.92 g, 124.93 g, 1.76 g, 2.98 g, 4.80 g, respectively. The average slaughter weight, carcass weight, abdominal fat weight, liver weight, ovarium weight, oviduct weight for females in Y and D lines were 204.18 g and 188.51 g, 127.79 g and 117.27 g, 1.41 g and 1.00 g, 6.07 g and 5.61 g, 5.57 g and 4.84 g, 6.12 g and 5.99 g. The average slaughter weight, carcass weight, abdominal fat weight, liver weight, testes weight for males in Y and D lines were 184.51 g and 162.59 g, 134.52 g and 117.18 g, 2.14 g and 1.44 g, 2.96 g and 3.06 g, 4.92 g and 4.69 g. Whole blood serum parameters except level of trigiserid changed by generations. But the level of serum calcium was affected by lines. Blood serum parameters over the generations were 213.17 mg/dl, 237.79 mg/dl, 98.09 mg/dl, 17.02 mg/dl and 7.10 mg/dl for cholesterol, lipid, trigliserid, calcium and phosphor, respectively.