This study was conducted to investigate the effect of two different housing systems; floor pens vs. battery cages on productive traits in Japanese quail. Three hundred, one day old chicks were individually weighed and randomly divided into two equal experimental groups according to housing system (150 birds in each group), each group was randomly assigned to three replicates. Body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and mortality rates were recorded weekly during the first experimental period. At the end of the growing period slaughter test was carried out to estimate carcass quality characteristics. Feed intake , feed conversion ratio and mortality rates were recorded. The dressed carcass, heart, liver, head and gizzard were weighed. The pooled weight of heart, liver, gizzard, and edible meat were designated as total edible meat (TEM). Using floor pens improved Gizzard weight, and gizzard percentage values compared to battery cages. Egg production, and egg quality traits, were estimated during the second experimental period. It was concluded that housing system had no significant effect on productive most traits of Japanese quails. Using floor pens improved gizzard weight, gizzard percentage, egg yolk weight and egg yolk percentage values of floor pen reared quails compared to battery cages. It was concluded that housing system had no significant effect on most of productive traits of Japanese quail

Two hundred and twenty weaned rabbits of New-Zealand White (NZW) as exotic breed and Baladi Black (BB) as a local breed were used in the present study. The study included two experiments, where rabbits in the first and second groups were housed in unconditioning and conditioning rabbitry, respectively. The first experiment (lasted for 35 days post weaning) was designed to evaluate growth performance of rabbits as affected by breed and conditioning of the rabbitry. The 2nd experiment was carried out to evaluate mature rabbit reproductive traits by using 30 male rabbits, 15 of each NZW and BB in each group, during pre-mature period. The experiment lasted 3 months and aimed to estimate some blood serum constitutes and body thermoregulation, as well as age and weight at first mating and some parameters indicated fertilizing ability of bucks. Results showed that, daily weight gain , feed intake, feed conversion and final body weight of rabbits were significantly (P≤0.05) better in BB and in conditioning rabbitry than those of NZW rabbits and in the control -unconditioning group, respectively. Dressing percentage, carcass weight and relative internal organs weight, as well as, blood pictures of growing rabbits were significantly (P≤0.05) higher in conditioning and BB than in unconditioning rabbitry and NZW rabbits, respectively. Conditioning rabbitry significantly (P≤0.05) improved values of each of total protein and its fractions, some enzymes indicated liver activity, some physiological aspects indicated physiological ability of body-thermoregulation. Also, conditioning rabbitry significantly (P≤0.05) improved net revenue and relative economic efficiency as compared to unconditioning group. Results of the second experiment indicated that, scrotal circumference, testicular index and mating activity, as well as, female and male sexual hormones were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in BB and in conditioning rabbitry than NZW and unconditioning rabbitry, respectively. Baladi Black rabbits showed libido; physical semen quality; conception and kindling rates; litter size and bunny weight at birth and at weaning and pre-weaning mortality rates significantly (P ≤ 0.05) better than NZW rabbits, using natural mating or artificial insemination. Libido and physical semen quality of bucks, and fertility traits of does mated naturally or inseminated artificially were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved by conditioning the rabbitry, in each breed. Using air conditioning in rabbitries showed a significant improvement in the economic efficiency of rabbit production.

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