The effect of magnetic field on hatchability of Japanese quail eggs

Abstract

The effect of environmental conditions on hatching indices of poultry eggs is sufficiently important that new methods for their improvement are sought, among others through exposing the eggs during hatching to an artificially generated magnetic field of variable frequency. Hatching eggs in this study came from Pharaoh quail in the 4th month of laying. The flock was kept under optimum microclimate conditions and fed a complete feed mix containing 21% total protein and 11.7 MJ ME. The eggs (n = 150), after weighing, were divided into 3 groups equal in respect of numbers: control (I) and two experimental (II and III). The eggs of group II and III were exposed to the action of variable magnetic field of the same intensity but different times of application. The highest percentage of dead embryos during incubation in relation to fertilised eggs was found in control group (11.36%), while the smallest was from group II (4.17%). The highest value of hatching indices calculated in relation to fertilised eggs was found in group II (91.6%), while the smallest was in group III (83.7%) with 86.3% in control group. The results point to the possibility of increasing egg hatchability indices through the use of additional variable magnetic field. The chicks hatched from eggs exposed to the action of this experimental agent had similar body weight. The average weight of one-day-old chicks ranged from 7.82 g (group II) to 8.05 g (group III). In the last week of rearing, mean body weight in both sexes was similar and ranged from 168 (group I) to 172 g (group III) in males, and from 186 g (group I) to 199 g (group III) in females; these differences were not statistically significant. The females of group III reached sexual maturity at 41 days, this being one and three days (non-significantly) earlier than birds in group I and II.