Genetic parameters of egg quality traits in two strains of Japanese quails

Present study was carried out to estimate the genetic and phenotypic parameters among external, internal egg quality traits and quality indices in Black and Brown Japanese quails. A total of 1218 eggs collected consecutively for three days at 16 weeks of age from 202 Black and 204 Brown Japanese quails were utilized in the present study to record the data on external and internal egg quality traits. The overall least squares means for EW, EL, EWD, SW, ST, AL, AWD, AH, AW, YD, YH, YW, YFC, SI, AI, YI and HUS were 13.63 g, 33.85 mm, 26.76 mm, 1.14 g, 0.21 mm, 42.63 mm, 33.45 mm, 5.04 mm, 7.95 g, 24.53 mm, 11.43 mm, 4.53 g, 5.66, 79.18, 0.13, 0.47 and 60.09, respectively. Majority of the heritability estimates for egg quality traits were within the range of moderate to high and suggested the existence of sizeable genetic variability for exploitation by appropriate selection procedure.