Abstract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time to sexual
maturity and quality of initial eggs of Japanese quail affected by in ovo
injection of plant extracts: ginger (GR), garlic (GC), oregano (O) and
cinnamon (C). In total, 2400 eggs of Japanese quails were
divided into six groups on the fifth day of incubation. Group I was the control group (NC), which was not
injected. Other eggs were injected with 0.1 mL of liquid: group II –
the positive control (PC) – with distilled water, group III with 1 % solution of GR, group IV with GC, group V with O and group VI with C. After hatching, the birds were reared in a cage system
and fed with balanced mixtures, and 24 h lighting was used. The time at which birds reached sexual maturity was registered, while in the seventh week of rearing, 120 eggs were subject to quality evaluation. The traits of a whole egg (shape index as the ratio of
egg width to egg length, weight, specific gravity), shell (strength, weight,
thickness and density), albumen (weight, height), yolk (color, weight,
index) were evaluated. At the earliest, on 36th day of life, eggs were laid
by birds from the GC group, followed by C (37th day), O and NC (38th day), GR (39th day), and PC (41st day). During the first 2 weeks significantly more
eggs were collected from the GC than from the other groups. The heaviest eggs
derived from GC and GR groups, whereas the lightest came from the C group. Eggs from the GC group had the best shell strength and the greatest proportion of yolk. The
use of medicinal herbs by injection in ovo may considerably modify both time of
sexual maturity and quality of the initial eggs of Japanese quail.
Effects of the commercial in ovo injection of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on the hatchability and hatching chick quality of broilers