Original Contribution CHARACTERISTICS AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF JAPANESE QUAIL (COTURNIX JAPONICA) CARCASS IN A SEMI ARID AREA OF NIGERIA

Characteristics and proximate compositions of Japanese quail carcass in a semi arid area of Nigeria were determined at the Poultry Unit of the Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri using 300 random bred Japanese quail. Sex, color type, weight group and age had significant effects on carcass characteristics. Sexual dimorphism was in favor of the females for most carcass characteristics; however, dressed percent (72.41%) was significantly higher in males than females (68.02%). Wild type Japanese quails had significantly higher slaughter weight (132.66 g) than light brown (121.33 g). The values for most carcass traits increased with increase in age and weight of birds. Abdominal fat deposit in the Japanese quail became noticeable only at 24 weeks (1.39 g) of age and increased to 10.70 g at 52 weeks. The mean values of moisture, dry matter, protein, ether extract and ash in whole Japanese quail carcass were 78.22, 21.78, 15.55, 12.23 and 2.91%, respectively. The corresponding values for breast meat were 78.88, 21.12, 17.90, 2.01 and 2.28% while those of thigh were 82.28, 17.72, 13.63, 2.91 and 2.86%. Age had effect on composition of whole carcass, breast and thigh meats, moisture content of whole quail carcass decreased with a reversing trend for dry matter, crude protein and ether extract. At 6 weeks of age, moisture in whole quail was 14.85% higher than at 24 weeks. In contrast, at 24 weeks dry matter, crude protein and ether extract were 11.06, 7.89 and 17.32% respectively, higher than at 6 weeks. Similar trends were observed for breast and thigh meats, though the former had better quality.