ARCHIV FUR TIERZUCHT-ARCHIVES OF ANIMAL BREEDING, cilt.56, ss.789-796, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
This study aimed to determine the effects of thermal manipulation during early embryogenesis (EE) and late embryogenesis (LE) on hatching weight, body weight at 5 weeks of age, hatchability and embryonic mortality rate in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Incubation conditions from day 0 to day 17 were; 37.7 degrees C and 55% relative humidity for control group. In the thermally treated eggs during early embryogenesis (EE6-EE8 days), incubation temperature was increased to 41 degrees C and relative humidity to 65% for 3 h (12.00-15.00) at 3 consecutive days. Also, in the late embryogenesis stage (LE12-LE14 days), incubation temperature was increased to 41 degrees C and relative humidity to 65% 3 h (12.00-15.00) at 3 consecutive days. At hatching in each trial, all chicks were wing-banded and individually weighed. Thermal manipulations had significant effects on hatching weight, and lowest hatching weights were found in LE group in terms of male and female animals. In addition, thermal manipulations and gender had significant effects on body weight at 5 weeks of age and lowest body weights at 5 weeks of age were detected in LE group for both genders.