BIOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS, CRANIAL INDEX AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF QUAILS (Coturnix coturnix japonica) IN THE RAIN FOREST ZONE OF NIGERIA

Some vital aspects of biology with which to measure the health status, nutritional requirements and productivity of the animal need to be understood for animal breeding programme. The biology of most poultry species is largely understood but little information is available on quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) in Nigeria. Therefore, this study examined the biometric measurements, cranial index and performance characteristics of quails.

One hundred day old quail chicks were offered feed and water liberally. Data were collected at day one and subsequently on weekly basis until twelve weeks of age on body weight (BW), body length (BL), body circumference (BC), wing span (WS), head length (HL), head width (HW), head circumference (HC) and neck length (NL). The cranial index and performance characteristics in terms of survivability, feed intake and weight gain were determined. The values for BW, BL, BC and WS in week 1 at 16.73±0.57 g, 10.43±0.13 cm, 6.35±0.12 cm and 14.66±0.30 cm, respectively, increased to 139.80±3.29 g, 22.37±0.21 cm, 14.49±0.10 cm and 37.37±0.25 cm, in week 12. The HL was predominant over the HW. Correlation coefficients associated with body weight and all the other traits were significant (p<0.01) with highest correlation coefficient being between body length and wing span (r=0.94). It was concluded that age influenced body weight and body linear measurements and that the head shape of the bird is dolicocephalic.