Genetic evaluation of carcass traits in Japanese quail using ultrasonic and morphological measurements.

1. A study was conducted to evaluate the carcass composition of 1083 live birds using ultrasonic and morphological measurements and to estimate the genetic relationship between predicted and dissected carcass composition in Japanese quail. 2. Birds were reared for 35 d, and morphological measurements consisting of the length and width of breast muscle were recorded for all birds using a digital caliper. After slaughtering, the weight and percentage of carcass traits were measured on chilled carcasses. The dimensions of breast muscle were measured in 638 birds with an ultrasound scanner before slaughter at 35 d of age. 3. Genetic parameters from univariate and bivariate analyses were obtained by restricted maximum likelihood using ASREML software. 4. Genetic correlations between body weight at 35 d (BW35) and the percentage of carcass traits were low. Therefore, selection for BW35 may not effectively improve the yield of carcass components in Japanese quail. 5. High genetic correlations between carcass traits and ultrasonic measurements compared to morphological measurements suggest that the ultrasonic technique is a better method to improve breast weight and yield in Japanese quail.