Carcase characteristics of Japanese quail at 42 days of age.

An experiment was carried out with Japanese quail to study the effect of sex on carcase characteristics. The carcase yield was significantly greater in males than females, although the carcase weight was similar. The breast and legs constituted a major proportion of body weight, being 34.6 and 32.1% for males and females respectively, but their yields were not influenced by sex. The proportionate yield of liver and alimentary tract was greater in females than in males. Both part weight and part yield could be accurately predicted by body weight.