Recessive white plumage color mutation of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) revealed morphological variations in the oropharyngeal roof structures, accompanied by behavioral differences

Abstract

Genetic background of experimental animals contributes mainly to the variations in the experimental outcomes. Therefore, quails of two lines of plumage color (brown and recessive white) were studied to investigate the impact of plumage color mutations on the morphological structures of the oropharyngeal roof and also on the ingestive behavior and quail performance. Feeding intake and feed conversion ratio were higher in the brown quails, associated with nonsignificant increase of the live body weight and body weight gain. In the recessive white quails, ingestive behaviors revealed significant declines. The roof of the oropharynx roof was significantly longer in the recessive white quails; however, the upper beak was significantly longer and narrower in the brown ones. The length of the palate and pharynx showed nonsignificant increase in the recessive white quails. The median palatine ridge was formed of rostral continuous and caudal interrupted parts, and the lengths of these parts were slightly higher in the recessive white quails, meanwhile the lateral palatine ridge length showed a slight increase in the brown birds. Openings of intraepithelial glands were more numerous in the recessive white quails. The brown quails demonstrated more detectable and larger caudally directed conical shaped palatine and pharyngeal papillae, in addition to more considerable palatine salivary glands openings. The infundibular cleft was significantly wider in the recessive white quails, where its edges were characterized by lack of the pharyngeal papillae. The findings of this study will be beneficial for the breeders during selection the suitable quail lines for meat production purposes.

Comparison of Egg Quality Characteristics of Different Quail Lines

“…5,6 The plumage color or genetic variation might play an im-portant role to egg quality on quail and there is a need for further investigations on determination of egg quality of different plumage color lines of quail. Although there is lots of research on different characteristics of different quail lines 7,8,9,10,11 , the reported egg quality characteristics of quail are still very limited compared with the other poultry species, especially of different color variants. Moreover, the studies on quail have gradually diminished over the years.…”