Abstract
The timing of sexual maturity in birds is crucial for reproductive success and is significantly influenced by light exposure. This study aimed to investigate the effect of age at photostimulation on egg quality and hatching traits in quails. A total of 300 quails (75 males and 225 females) were divided into 15 replicates and randomly assigned to one of three treatments (age at photostimulation: 30, 35, and 40 days). The birds were housed in specially designed cages and received 16 hours of light stimulation at the respective ages. Egg quality and hatching traits were evaluated from the 5th to the 12th week of age. Results showed no significant differences in egg weight, shell thickness, or Haugh unit scores among the different ages of light stimulation. Fertile egg production and hatchability were also not significantly affected by the age of photostimulation. However, significant differences were observed in the occurrence of dead embryos and hatchling weights among the different age groups exposed to light stimulation. Birds stimulated at the 35th day had a lower incidence of dead embryos and higher hatchling weights compared to those stimulated at the 30th and 40th days.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Syed Ali Raza Haider, Jibran Hussain , Abd Ur Rehman, Muhammad Usman (Author)