Comparison of egg production between two quail strains and their reciprocal crosses.

Hen Day (H-D) and Hen-Housed (H-H) egg production for 135 day period compared in two quail strains and their reciprocal crosses in two separate trails. At the first trail in two hatches 180 Japanese quail (Coturnix japanese) and 180 Range quail (Coturnix ypisilophorus) were reared in two different spaces [litter with sawdust (250 x 200 x 230 cm) and one-tier cage (50 x 50 x 70 cm)]. The 130-day period production was measured from date of first egg for each female. Strain difference were not significant for H-D (p>0.05), but there were significant difference for H-H (p<0.01). Also H-D and H-H were significantly different by space of variations (p<0.01). Japanese quails with H-H 72.42 +/- 0.65% were significantly higher than Range quail with 62.68 +/- 1.07. At the second trail in two hatches 800 quails include four groups: 1--Japanese quails, 2--Range quails, 3--Hybrid 1 (R male x C female). 4--Hybrid 2 (C male x R female) were reared in four-tier cage from 28 days of age to experiment end. H-D and H-H of four groups were significantly different (p<0.01). Japanese quails with H-D 77.39 +/- 1.23% were the highest in four groups, but H-D between Japanese quail and H2 was not significantly different (p>0.05). H-D were not affected by hatch effects (p>0.05), but H-H at second hatch was significantly higher than first hatch. Egg weights were obtained with sample 35 eggs which randomly were selected at 70th, 115th and 175th days of age production for Japanese quails, hybrid 1, hybrid 2 and Range quails 11.16 +/- 0.16, 10.92 +/- 0.17, 10.61 +/- 0.11 and 11.06 +/- 0.12 g, respectively.