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Background: Egg production efficiency is typically measured through age and body weight at sexual maturity, egg number and egg weight during certain production periods. Increased egg weight and number of eggs are the primary purpose of the laying bird breeding programmes. Partial period analysis enhances selection process as the variations occurring throughout the bird’s productive life are identified and helps in the selection decisions. The current study aimed to study the genetic parameters such as heritability, phenotypic and genetic correlations to improve egg production performance and egg quality traits in Japanese quail reared at the Central Avian Research Institute (CARI).Methods: In present investigation, data recording was carried out from the Japanese quail population at experimental quail farm, CARI during 2019-2020. The individual mating was conducted between 180 sires and 180 dams of three varieties of Japanese quails were randomly selected from the base populations to develop first generation of experimental population. The hatched chicks were wing banded and the pedigree details recorded. For economic traits such as egg production and egg quality estimation, 40 sires and 40 dams were selected and parameters were evaluated. Result: In this present investigation, egg number from 10-16th week of age exhibited moderate to high heritable values. Egg weight was estimated moderate heritability traits. In egg quality traits, all values were moderate to high heritable values except yolk density in all the three varieties.

The quantitative genetic study involving a pure line mating of 160 pairs of three varieties of domesticated Japanese quails (CARI-Ujjawal; CARI-Suneheri and CARI-Brown) were maintained under individual pedigree cages for breeding. A total of 6221 quail chicks from three hatches comprising three varieties were used for this study. Among them, CARI-Ujjawal has higher hatchability with less rearing mortality percentage. CARI-Ujjawal had highest (plessthan0.01) body weight at all ages when compared to the other two varieties. The heritability estimates on body weight (0-5 weeks) among the varieties range from low to moderate in all the three varieties. The positive correlation was observed among all the varieties at different ages. High genetic correlations between body weights at early as well as later ages confirms that selection for body weight at early ages would improve body weight at later (maturity) ages. Amongst all, CARI-Suneheri was having better heritability values and during further generations of selections it performed also well to improve because of its better heritability. Also from above results this variety could be recommended for broiler quail breeding after field testing.

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