Effect of egg weight and oviposition time on hatchability and post hatch performance of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

A total of three hundred (300) Japanese quail eggs were used to study the effect of oviposition time and egg weight on hatchability and post-hatch performance. The eggs were grouped into two (2) of 150 eggs based on the oviposition time of Morning and Afternoon. The eggs in each group (150) were further sub-grouped based on the egg weights of 8 to10 grams designated as small sized and 10.1 to 12 grams designated as big size in a 2 x 2 factorial design trial of 4 treatments. Each treatment had seventy five (75) eggs each with three replicates. The four treatments groups were; Big Morning, Small Morning, Big Afternoon, Small Afternoon. Each treatment group was replicated three times with each replicates consisting of twenty-five (25) eggs. Hatchability parameters were determined during incubation period of 18 days. The quail chicks were fed ad-libitum and the post- hatch performance was studied for eight (8) weeks. The data generated were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance. Oviposition time and size of the egg significantly (p<0.05) affected the average hatch weight. The effect of interaction of oviposition time and egg size on post-hatch performance did not have any significant (p>0.05) influence. Oviposition time had a positive correlation (p<0.05) with egg weight, egg weight loss, percent egg weight loss and fertility percentage but negatively correlated with average hatch weight and hatchability percentage. Meanwhile egg size had a positive significant (p<0.01) correlation with average hatch weight. It was concluded that eggs ranging between 10.1 to 12 grams will produce higher hatch weight. However, setting of Japanese quail eggs ranging between 8 to 12 grams irrespective of oviposition time could not affect post-hatch performance of the chicks.Keywords: egg weight, oviposition time, hatchability Japanese quai