Effects of Season and Line on Sexual Maturity and Some Egg Yield Traits in Selected Japanese Quails (Coturnix Coturnix japonica)

This study was conducted to determine the effects of season and lines on age at sexual maturity, body weight at sexual maturity and some egg yield traits in 11 generations of selected Japanese quail. The material used in this research was selected from high (HL) or low (LL) body weight Japanese quail lines according to 5-week body weights and their random bred control line and layer line (L) for 120 d egg production. Average egg weight was the lowest in summer and in LL line, Which also had lowest total egg number, total egg weight and hen day egg production. Maximum eggs were produced by L line, while heaviest eggs were produced by HL line. The highest and lowest ages at sexual maturity were determined in winter and summer seasons, respectively. Also, the heaviest first egg weight was found in winter season. It is concluded that lines and seasons generally affected quail egg production.