Eggs from pheasants, Chukar partridge and Japanese quail were stored 1 to 28 days in a cold box where temperature and relative humidity were maintained at approximately 16 degrees C. and 70 percent, respectively. Half the eggs from each species was turned once daily from a 45 degree angle from the verticle to the opposite angle. Turning eggs prior to incubation had no appreciable effect on hatchability of eggs stored up to 28 days. Length of storage for eggs from the pheasant and quail was critical, with significant declines in fertility in eggs stored beyond 14 days. Storage of Chukar eggs up to 28 days had little effect on subsequent hatchability, and their holding quality was comparable to that for commercial strains of chickens and turkeys.
Rate of growth, feed consumption, mortality, and feathering were studied in an unselected line of Chinese and Mongolian Ring-necked pheasants fed different levels of protein. In experiment 1, approximately 180 pheasants were fed 16, 20, 24, or 28% protein from the 2nd through the 14th week of age. In experiment 2, 264 unsexed Mongolian and Chinese Ring-necked pheasants were fed 16, 20, or 24% protein from the 3rd through the 15th week of age. Feed consumption and body weight were measured biweekly. Completeness of feathering was measured at 14 weeks of age in experiment 1, and at 5,11, and 15 weeks in experiment 2.Results of both experiments indicated that despite the differences due to sex and species, best growth was obtained in pheasants fed a ration containing at least 24% protein. Pheasants fed rations containing 16% protein grew significantly (P<0.01) slower than did comparable birds fed higher levels of protein. High-protein diets favored good feathering during early growth, but this advantage was lost as the birds became older. Mortality was higher in groups fed 16% protein as compared to that in groups fed 20% or more protein. Although birds fed diets low in protein consumed less feed than did birds in comparable groups fed higher levels of protein, the savings were offset by the higher incidence of mortality in the low-protein groups.We concluded that starter rations for pheasants must contain at least 24% protein. This level can be reduced to 20% after about 8 weeks of age. After 16 weeks of age, the pheasants can be fed diets with no more than 10% to 12% protein.
In each of 2 experiments, 4 groups of Broad Breasted White turkey hens were hatched at 2-week intervals and given a 6-week period of restricted light (8L-16D) when 24, 22, 20 and 18 weeks of age. The hens were given stimulatory light (16L-8D) when 30, 28, 26 and 24 weeks of age, respectively.There was a delay of 5 days in onset of lay in hens lighted at 24 weeks of age, as compared to those lighted at 30 weeks. Mean age at sexual maturity was 234, 221, 209 and 197 days of age, respectively, for hens lighted at 30, 28, 26 and 24 weeks of age.In test 1 (1971), hens given stimulatory light at 30 weeks of age produced significantly more eggs in a 140-day production period than did hens lighted at 26 or 24 weeks of age. A similar but nonsignificant trend was noted in test 2.The youngest hens (26 and 24 weeks of age) were lighter in weight and initially laid smaller eggs than hens lighted at 28 and 30 weeks of age.Approximately 53 percent of the 2 youngest hatches of hens paused 1 or more times in lay as compared to about 30 percent of the hens in the 2 older hatches. A comparison of egg production between hens pausing and those not pausing during the 140 days of lay indicated that pausing accounted for a loss of about 27 eggs per hen. Pausing hens had fewer and smaller egg sequences than did nonpausing birds.Age at lighting had no appreciable effect on fertility and hatchability of eggs laid during the second 10-week period of lay.
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