This study was performed to determine the effect of hatching system (house and hatcher) and egg weight (heavy and light) on pip-hatch time, hatchability and some gosling quality traits. A total of 389 eggs (fertile of candling) from 2-year-old Turkish Native Goose were used in the study. Before the incubation process, all eggs were individually numbered and weighed. Eggs were divided into heavy (≥160 g) and light (

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different levels of alfalfa meal on performance, egg quality, egg yolk cholesterol and hatchability parameters of quail breeders. In this trial a total of 90 Japanese quail breeders (30 males, 60 females), 10 weeks old was distributed 5 experimental groups randomly. Each experimental group consisted of 6 replicates of 3 quails (1 males, 2 females) in each. During the 12 weeks experiment period, birds were fed with 5 dietary groups based on corn and soybean meal and containing 0 (control), 10, 20, 40 and 80 g/kg alfalfa meal. Feed and water were offered ad-libitum throughout the experiment. The different dietary levels of alfalfa meal had no significant effect on body weight change, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, egg shell breaking strength, egg yolk triglyceride, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs or hatchability of eggs set. The feed intake was decreased with 10 or 20 g/kg alfalfa meal levels in the diet. The eggshell weight was best in quails fed 20 g/kg alfalfa meal, and the egg yolk cholesterol was the lowest in quails fed 40 g/kg alfalfa meal. According to the results of this study the addition of 40 g/kg alfalfa meal in laying quail diets decreased the egg yolk cholesterol levels without adverse effect on performance.

This study was conducted to investigate the hatching parameters differences between the hatching eggs which were controlled or not for fertility at 18th day of embryo development in the hatchery unit. Hatching was conducted with hatching eggs of Atak-S commercial layers parent stocks. Four treatment groups were constituted; 1) 95% fertility, fertility control at 18th day, 2) 95% fertility, no fertility control at 18th day, 3) 75% fertility, no fertility control at 18th day and 4) 50% fertility, no fertility control at 18th day. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of fertility rate, hatching efficiency hatchability of fertile eggs and early-, middle and late period embryo mortality. Chick quality according to Pasgar score chick quality assessment differed significantly between the treatment groups. The results of the present study indicate that transferring of eggs to the hatcher without fertility control at 18th day of embryo development did not affect the hatching results, but chick quality decreased when the fertility rate decreased below 45%.

This study has been carried out to investigate that the effect of different levels of in ovo zinc, manganese and copper mineral mix injection on the hatchability and some tissue characteristics in the Japanese quail breeder eggs. In the study a total 400 Japanese quail breeder eggs which have similar weight have been randomly distributed to four different experimental groups: C as control non-injected (C), MinMix1 has been injected with 15+15+3 µg Zn-Mn-Cu mineral mix + 0.2 ml physiological serum per egg, MinMix2 has been injected with 30+30+6 µg Zn-Mn-Cu mineral mix + 0.2 ml physiological serum per egg and MinMix3 has been injected with 45+45+9 µg Zn-Mn-Cu mineral mix + 0.2 ml physiological serum per egg. The effect of treatment on hatchability, hatching weight and tibia weight, leg, beak and tibia lengths has been found to be unimportant. The yolk sac weight was lower in the injected groups compared to the control group, whereas the heart and liver weights, chick and wing lengths have significantly increased with the in ovo mineral mix injection. The hatching of chicks in the injected groups has started earlier than the control group and the hatchings of these groups were completed earlier, except for the MinMix3 group. These results demonstrated that in ovo injection with MinMix2 increased heart and liver weights and chick and wing lengths while in ovo mineral injection decreased yolk sac.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of in ovo DL-methionine injection into the fertile broiler eggs on hatchability and relative chick weight. In the trial, 132 fertile broiler eggs were obtained from a breeder flock (34-wk-old Ross 308 parent stock). Fertile eggs were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. Experimental groups were 1) Control 2) DL-methionine injected group with three replicates. Injections were carried out at the 16th day of incubation. At the end of the study, hatchability was 90.29%, and 84.74% in control and DL-methionine injected eggs respectively. Relative chick weights were 70.04% and 72.70% control and DL-methionine injected group respectively. At the end of the study, it determined that injection of DL-methionine increased 3.8% relative chick weight according to control. It suggested that DL-methionine may use as an in ovo feed additive for obtain heavier chick.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of rearing quails in different rearing systems on egg production, egg quality characteristics, and incubation results. The 360 quails were distributed equally to 3 different rearing groups (cage, enriched cage, and floor) in a male:female mixed at the age of 3 weeks. The eggs were individually weighed and recorded one by one daily (5487 eggs) for 3 months. To determine egg quality and incubation characteristics, 750 eggs were broken, and 3284 eggs were incubated, respectively. The results showed that female quail in the floor group have lower body weight at 6 weeks old (177.19 g), and they reached sexual maturity (age of first egg laying) later (65.36 day, P<0.01), The lowest egg production (61.14%) occurred in the floor group during the 3-month egg production period (P<0.05). The lowest average egg weight (9.07 g) was determined in the floor group (P<0.05). It was determined that the eggs of quails raised in the enriched group had a rounder shape index because they have larger widths (P<0.01). While the highest average yolk height (11.24 mm) was determined in the enriched cage group (P<0.01), the highest averages of albumen length (72.41 mm) and lowest averages of yolk index (48.43%) were determined in the cage group (P<0.01). The lowest average values (113.17) in Haugh unit were detected in the floor group (P<0.05). The highest fertility rate (98.44%) was in Floor♂:Cage♀, the highest hatchability of fertile egg rate (94.67%) was obtained from Enriched♂:Cage♀, and the highest hatchability (89.10%) was obtained from Floor♂:Cage♀ pairing (P<0.05). The lowest fertility rate (88.00%) was obtained from the Enriched♂:Floor♀, the lowest hatchability of fertile egg rate (86.01%) was obtained from the Enriched♂:Enriched♀, and the lowest hatchability (75.62%) was obtained from the Enriched♂: Enriched♀ groups. As a result, it has been revealed that the effect of various rearing systems is different on egg production, egg quality traits, and hatching results in quails. Thus, it has been shown that different programs at the rearing period to be applied to the male and female quails can achieve better incubation results and reproductive success.