A sinusoidal equation as alternative to conventional growth functions to describe the evolution of growth in quail

Abstract

Aim of study: The aim of the present study was to introduce a sinusoidal equation into poultry science by applying it to temporal growth data from quail.Material and methods: To examine the performance of the sinusoidal equation in describing the growth patterns of quail, four conventional growth functions (Gompertz, logistic, López and Richards) were used as reference in this study. Comparison of models was carried out by analysing model behaviour when fitting the curves using nonlinear regression and assessing statistical performance. Maximum log-likelihood estimation, mean squared error, Akaike and Bayesian information criteria were used to evaluate the general goodness-of-fit of each model to the different data profiles.Main results: The selected sinusoidal equation precisely describes the growth dynamics of quail. Comparison of the growth functions in terms of the goodness-of-fit criteria revealed that the sinusoidal equation was one of the most appropriate functions to describe the age-related changes of bodyweight in quail.Research highlights: To the best of our knowledge there are no studies available on the use of sinusoidal equations to describe the evolution of growth in quail. The sinusoidal equation used in this study represents a suitable alternative to conventional growth functions to describe the growth curves for a range of strains/lines of male and female Japanese quail.

Modeling the growth curve in ducks: a sinusoidal model as an alternative to classical nonlinear models

“…Growth curves are helpful tools for showing how body weight changes over the course of growth and for providing relevant and useful data for feeding and breeding programs ( Maruyama et al, 1998 ; Aggrey, 2004 ). Given their ability to predict future growth at any age, growth curves may be utilized for animal pre-selection ( Tekel et al, 2005 ; Darmani Kuhi et al, 2019b ). Growth curves have been described by a variety of mathematical functions.…”

“…However, choosing the optimal function necessitates paying close attention to how animals grow in various environmental settings ( Dogan et al, 2010 ). This is particularly important when a specific data set is obtained under previously undefined specific conditions (for a specific bird species, for a specific feeding regime, or when ducks are kept in a specific climate or environment) ( Darmani-Kuhi et al, 2019b ).…”

“…In general, alternative equations are still required for several reasons: 1) It is possible that different breeds of chickens have unique growth patterns that are not well represented by traditional models, 2) Growth rates and patterns can vary significantly depending on the production systems and management techniques used, and 3) Due to the impact that environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and feed quality can have on growth, differentiated modeling approaches are required. Previous studies have reported on the suitability of a sinusoidal function (as an alternative) to model the growth curve of turkeys, broilers, quails, and dairy heifers ( Darmani Kuhi et al, 2018 , 2019a , b , c ). The production of ducks has developed into extremely specialized, well-coordinated systems.…”

Comparison of nonlinear functions to describe lactation curves for cumulative milk production in buffalo

“…These handicaps can be surmounted by using cumulative lactation curves (López et al, 2015). Currently, the suitability of sinusoidal functions, as newly applied equations, is confirmed for describing growth curves in broiler chicks, quail, dairy heifers and turkeys (Darmani Kuhi et al, 2018Kuhi et al, , 2019aKuhi et al, , 2019bKuhi et al, , 2019c. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the suitability of sinusoidal and conventional growth functions (viz.…”