Embryo Physiological Status, Chick Yield and Hatchability of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Eggs Incubated in Fabricated Electric Incubators at Different Temperatures

Résumé

Five electric incubators were fabricated and set at 36^oC, 37^oC, 38^oC, 39^oC and 40^oC representing the treatments. A total of 300 hundred Japanese quail eggs were divided into 60 each per incubator and embryo physiological status, chick yield and hatchability were monitored. It was observed that the fabricated incubators were seemingly effective but could not retain heat and moisture, possibly because lagging materials were not used. This probably resulted in no hatching among the eggs set at 36^oC,even when the egg fertility was between 58.3 and 80.0%.Therefore, the efficiency of these fabricated incubators may depend on constant electricity supply. Meanwhile, eggs incubated at 37 to 40^oC hatched but the highest hatchability (66.7%) was recorded in those incubated at 39^oC. In a similar trend, the chick yield was best (55.8g) in chicks hatched at 39^oC, thus 39^oC could be recommended for quail chick production.