Rate of Genetic Improvement in Body Weight Component and Realized Heritability of Mineral Composition of Breast Meat in Japanese Quail (Cotunix Coturnix Japonica)

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine genetic improvement in carcass traits, body weight, shank length and realized h2 of mineral composition in meat portion of Japanese quail in Northern zone of Nigeria. Seven hundred and eighty four (830) chicks of 14 days of age were used and Data obtained were subjected to analyses of variance and realized heritability calculated as appropriate from the following: to determine live body weight, carcass traits in generations and sex, body weight gain and increase in shank length, live body length, carcass traits, weight gain, realized h2 of body weight, carcass weight, carcass weight part, shank length, and minerals composition in breast meat of Japanese quail. The result shows that the live body weight and carcass trait significantly affects the generations and sex of birds. Live body weight and carcass traits in first generation are lower than base and second generation. The body weight gain and shank length increases at day 35, 42, 49 and 56 in sex of Japanese quail. The realized h2 of body weight and percentage carcass weight and parts of the traits in Japanese quail shows high h2 (0.40-0.83) and moderate h2 (0.20-0.40). The h2 for body weight and shank length for the traits are high (0.40-0.99) and moderate (0.20-0.40). The realized h2 of minerals composition in breast meat of the Japanese quail also shows high h2 (0.46-0.83) in most of the traits and moderate h2 in calcium (0.20) for male and low h2 also in phosphorus for males (0.17) and combined sex (0.13). The moderate to high realized h2 observation indicates that response to selection for high body weight affects the traits therefore response could be rapid while low h2 implies that response to selection could be slow therefore response to selection is slow.