Abstract

VARGAS, Daniel; GALINDEZ, Rafael; DE BASILIO, Vasco  and  MARTINEZ, Gonzalo. Age at the First Egg in Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) under Experimental Conditions.. Rev. Cient. (Maracaibo) [online]. 2009, vol.19, n.2, pp.181-186. ISSN 0798-2259.

With the aim of determine the effect of the month of birth, farm of origin, weight of the egg, body weight, color and sheen of eggshell on age at first egg (AFE) in quails, there were evaluated 115 females from fertile eggs acquired in four farms of the center of the country. The experiment was carried out in the Agronomy School of the Central University of Venezuela in sheds of 4mx4m, closed with metallic net, zinc roof and cement floor, and they were sheltering individual cages of 50 cm. × 20 cm. The date of birth, weight, color and sheen of eggshell, body weight, food consumption and egg production were registered. A completely randomized design was used, and 115 observations were analyzed by a additive linear model. Only birth month had a significant (P=0.001) effect on AFE, being April and December the best months, with differences of 40 days with regard to the worst month (June). The weight of the egg affected the EPH (P=0.0022; b =-4.46 ± 1.42 days/g), for every extra gram of weight of the egg the EPH diminished in 4.46 days; whereas for every extra gram of corporal weight, EFH increase in 0.52 days (P=0.0001, b=0.52 ± 0.07 days/g). It can be concluded that the females from heavy eggs and that they are born in months of minor rainfall, had their first egg early in life.

Keywords : Sexual maturity; egg weight; eggshell color; eggshell sheen; Coturnix coturnix japonica.