A Comparative Study of Calcium Metabolism between Quail and Domestic Rabbits

Abstract

The existing study was conducted to evaluate calcium; vitamin D and calcitonin concentration in two types of amniotes that live in the Iraqi environment include the local rabbit and the Japanese quail. The study included 18 female Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix, weighing 145.5 ± 34.341 g, they were 16 weeks in ages and 18 female local rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, at the age of one years and 1438.5 ± 284.988 g in weight. The results showed that the mean serum calcium concentration in bird and rabbit were 8.134±0.450 (mg/dl) and 7.267±1.761 (mg/dl) respectively and it was significantly at at 0.066 higher in bird in comparison to rabbit, the mean of vitamin D in bird and rabbit were 24.22± 3.159 (ng/ml) and 28.43±4.632 (ng/ml) respectively and it was significantly higher in rabbit than bird at 0.007 while the mean serum calcitonin concentration in bird and rabbit were 1.354±0.1960 (mg/dl) and 1.676±0.4151 (mg/dl) respectively and it was significantly at 0.009 higher in rabbit in comparison to bird. Egg laying, shell calcification and medullary bone formation induce more extra demand of calcium in birds while the high rate of teeth erupting demand extra calcium in rabbits, the metabolism of vitamin D will be altered indirectly by these process which associated with increased requirements for calcium. The study showed an increase in the level of calcium in both rabbits and quail birds, and that this increase will change the metabolism of vitamin D, and many physiological processes will occur.