الفهرس 
INTRODUCTION
Body weight and body weight gainOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
This study was carried out at the Poultry Farm, Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Egypt. The aim of this study was to investigation the effect of using two cage types (individually vs. colony cages) under five mating ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 male to females) on the productive and reproductive performance of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at 16 weeks of age under upper Egypt climatic condition, from May to September 2014 .
The results obtained results could be summarized as follows
Effect of cage type
1- Males kept in individually cages had significantly higher final body weight (P≤0.05) than those kept colony cages.
2- Final body weight of females did not differ significantly among the cage types.
3- Feed consumption for Japanese quails was increased in individually cages than those kept in colony cages, but the differences were not significant.
4- Data showed significant effect of cage type on feed conversion ratio during the whole experiment except 16-20 weeks of age; where the birds in individually cages had better (P≤0.05) feed efficiency than those in colony cages.
5- Mortality rate for quails housed in colony cages was significantly higher (P<0.05) than those which reared in individually cages during the whole experiment, except at (24-28) weeks of age.
6- Females reared in individually cages had higher (p≤0.05) HDP% than those in colony cages for Japanese quails.
7- Birds reared in colony cages had higher SP% than those in individually cages.
8- The differences among groups were not significantly in terms of egg mass, HHP%, LR% during the whole experimental period except LR% at 16-20 weeks of age; females in individually cages had higher (p≤0.05) LR% at 16-20 weeks of age than those in colony cages.
9- Cages type had no significant effects on egg weight of Japanese quails during the whole experimental periods, except during 28-32 weeks of age; where the females in individual cage had higher (P<0.05) egg weight than those in colony cages.
10- External and internal egg quality for Japanese quails was not significantly affected by cages type (individually vs. colony).
11- Data showed that fertility rate and hatchability rate for eggs produced from quails which reared in individual cages was significantly higher (P≤0.05) than those in colony cages.
12- Cages type had no significant effect on chick weight at hatch (absolute & percentage).
Effect of different mating ratios
1- The different mating ratios of (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 male to females) had no significant effect on initial and final body weight for males and females Japanese quails.
2- Data showed that different mating ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 male to females) had insignificant effects on daily feed consumption for Japanese quails.
3- The feed efficiency for Japanese quails were significantly improved (P<0.05) with increasing the number of females to male.
4- The different mating ratios of (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and 1:5 male to females) had no effect on mortality rate for Japanese quails allover experimental period.
5- The results indicated that egg mass, HDP%, HHP% and laying rate for Japanese quails decreased significantly (p≤0.05) with increasing number of females per male.
6- The different mating ratios of (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 male to females) had insignificantly effects on SP%.
7- The results indicated that different mating ratios of (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 male to females) had no significant effects on egg weight of Japanese quails during the whole experimental periods.
8- The different mating ratios in the present study had no significant effect on external and internal egg quality for Japanese quails.
9- The mating ratios of (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 male to females) had higher (P≤0.05) fertility and hatchability rates as compared with those of (1:4 and 1:5 male to females).
10- The mating ratios of (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 male to females) had no significant effect on chick weight at hatch (absolute & percentage).
Effect of interaction
1- Interaction had no significant effect on final body weights for male and female Japanese quails.
2- The effect of interaction (cage type x mating ratio) on daily feed consumption for Japanese quails during the whole experiment periods was insignificant.
3- Quails in individual cages had better feed efficiency especially at lower mating ratios as compared with those in colony cages at different mating ratios.
4- The findings showed significant effects of interaction (cage type x mating ratio) on mortality rate for Japanese quail during the periods of (16-20, 28-32 and 16-32) weeks of age, but the differences was not significantly at 20-24 and 24-28 weeks of age.
5- Interaction (CT×MR) had significant effects on egg production traits (Egg mass, HDP%, HHP%, SP %) for Japanese quails during the whole experimental period and (LR% at 16-20, 20-24 and 16-32 weeks of age).While, the interaction had insignificant effects on LR% at 24-28 and 28-32 weeks of age.
6- There no significant effects of interaction on egg weight for Japanese quails during the whole experiment periods.
7- There no significant effects of interaction (CT X MR) on external and internal egg quality for Japanese quail.
8- Quails in individually cages had better fertility and hatchability than those in colony cages especially at lower mating ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 male to females, respectively) .
9- No significant effects of interaction (Cage type x mating ratio) on hatched chick weight (absolute & percentage).