Effect of Active Dried Yeast on Intestine Development,Intestinal Flora and Serum Cholesterol Mass Concentration of Quails

[ Objective] The experiments aimed to investigate the effect of dietary active dried yeast on intestine development, intestinal flora and serum cholesterol mass concentration of quails. [ Method] One-day-old 180 quails were randomly divided into 4 groups, 3 repetitions, each with 15 quails. Control group was fed with basic dietary, while experimental groups were added with 0.6, 1,2 g/kg active dried yeast respectively in basic dietary, [ Result] Addition of active dried yeast had little effect on quails＇ intestine development（ P 〉0.05）. With the increasing adding amount active dried yeast, the number of colibacillus decreased significantly （P 〈0.05） while lactobacillus content increasing sharply （P 〈 0.05）. Dietary with 1 and 2 g/kg active dried yeast can significantly decrease the mass concentration of cholesterol in serum （ P 〈 0.05）. [ Conclusion ] Adding active dried yeast in feed can decrease the number of colibacillus while increasing lactobacillus content in intestinal tract of quails, also can low serum cholesterol mass concentration.

Enrichment of Organic-Inorganic Se and Vitamin E in Quail Products and Its Effect on the Performances and Source of Antioxidant in Quails＇ Eggs

This study aimed to get an optimum level of combined organic selenium, inorganic selenium and vitamin E in obtaining the best production and reproduction of quails as well as the highest antioxidant level in quail eggs. Seven hundred twenty quails （360 females and 360 males） at the age of six weeks old were used in this research. Nine treatment diets were： To （commercial diet/control）, Tl （diet containing 0.46 ppm inorganic Se ＋ 43.50 ppm vitamin E）, T2 （diet containing 0.46 ppm inorganic Se ＋ 87.00 ppm vitamin E）, T3 （diet containing 0.92 ppm inorganic Se ＋ 43.50 ppm vitamin E）, T4 （diet containing 0.92 ppm inorganic Se ＋87.00 ppm vitamin E）, Ts （diet containing 0.46 ppm organic Se ＋ 43.50 ppm vitamin E）, T6 （diet containing 0.46 ppm organic Se ＋ 87.00 ppm vitamin E）, T7 （diet containing 0.92 ppm organic Se ＋ 43.50 vitamin E） and Ts （diet containing 0.92 ppm organic Se 0.92 ＋ 87.00 ppm vitamin E）. The design of the experiment was a factorial nested design. Any significant differences among the treatments were analyzed by using Duncan＇s test. The results of this study indicated that 0.92 ppm organic selenium ＋ 43.50 ppm vitamin E （T7） in general gave the highest content of selenium in meat, in egg albumin, and in egg yolk as well as hatchability. The antioxidants as represented by vitamin E and glutathione peroxidase enzyme in the quail eggs were significantly higher as compared to that of quails fed other treatment diets.

Antibacterial Effects of Ethanolic Extract of Zehneria scabra on Quails Artificially Infected with Salmonella Enteritidis

Antimicrobial use in livestock is faced with various challenges including emergence of antimicrobial resistance and presence of drug residues in meat products,hence the need for alternatives.The aim of this work was to assess the effect a plant(Zehneria scabra)extract on Salmonella infected quails,as an alternative to antibiotic therapy.Quails were randomly assigned into six groups each containing twelve birds.The neutral control(T0)group was not infected and received tap water whereas other groups were infected.The negative control(T-)received tap water.The positive control(T+)received a single dose of oxytetracycline(20 mg/kg).T1,T2 andT3 orally received the plant extract at the following respective doses:9,18 and 37 mg/kg.Quails were infected by oral administration of a single dose of Salmonella Enteritidis(10^(5)CFU).Haematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated.From day 2 to day 9 to day 16,the bacterial load of all treatment groups(T+,T1,T2,T3)decreased.The infection resulted in a significant(p<0.05)increase in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase,triglycerides,total cholesterol and white blood cells,and a significant decrease in the liver and kidney protein content.The treatment resulted in the correction of the aforementioned effects.The plant extract(18 mg/kg)is as effective as oxytetracycline,and can be safely used in phytomedicine for the treatment of Salmonella Enteritidis infection without kidney and liver damage.

Effects of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) Leaf Meal on Performance, Carcass, Organs, Eggs and Meat of Japanese Quails

There are several reports on the utilisation of Moringa oleifera in poultry diets due to its essential bioactive compounds yet,little is known about its influence on Japanese quail eggs and meat qualities.Hence,the need to examine performance,eggs and meat qualities of Japanese quail hens fed M.oleifera leaf.To achieve this,240 Japanese quail chicks were allocated to three dietary treatments:D1:control,0.0%(without M.oleifera leaf meal),D2:(0.5%M.oleifera leaf meal)and D3:(1%M.oleifera leaf meal).Data on performance,carcass,organs,eggs and meat qualities were collected and subjected to ANOVA at 0.05.Results revealed that feed consumption was lowest(2,701g)in D1 and highest(2,800g)in D2,carcass weight varied from 100-100.67g,thigh weight(12.66-13.58g)and breast weight was highest(40.41g)in D3.Liver weight was lowest(3.25g)in D1,kidney was largest(0.91g)in D3 whereas,the heart,gizzard and spleen weights ranged from 1.00-1.16g,3.08-3.50g and 0.04-0.08g,respectively.In the eggs,crude protein(10.94%),crude fat(6.71%),ash(1.36%),high-density lipoprotein(96.12mg/100g)and low-density lipoprotein(120.67mg/100g)were highest in D1.Total cholesterol(364.08mg/100g)and triglycerides(147.27mg/100g)were least in D1 and the caloric value varied from 1.46-1.47kcal/g.In the meat,crude protein(17.14%)and energy value(1.96kcal/g)were best in D2 but,crude fat(12.62%),ash(2.85%)and carbohydrates(1.31%)were superior in D3.In both eggs and meat,no crude fibre(0.0%)was detected.In any case,all the parameter values were within the normal ranges given in healthy Japanese quails at similar age.Consequently,addition of M.oleifera leaf meal at 1.0%to Japanese quail diets might not depress performance,affect carcass quality,cause organs dysfunctions but may improve nutritional quality of the eggs and meat.

The effect of mustard seed meal(Sinapis arvensis)on thyroid hormones and liver enzymes in Japanese quails(Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Objective:To investigate the effect of wild black mustard seed meal on thyroid hormones(thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone)in Japanese quails and also study the ability of FeSO4 to alleviate the possible negative effect of mustard meal on thyroid hormones in these birds for the first time.Methods:The experimental procedure was undertaken on 28 quails which were randomly assigned to a control and 6 test groups with 4 quails in each group for 28 days,during which the control group received basic diet with no mustard meal whereas the test groups(No.2,3 and 4)received mustard meal(5%,10%and 15%,respectively)and test groups(No.5,6 and 7)received FeSO_(4)(1%)-treated mustard meal(5%,10%and 15%,respectively)on the basic of basic diet.Results:The group fed on 15%non-treated mustard seed meal had the least thyroxine level and its level backed to normal in group fed on 15%FeSO4-treated mustard seed meal although this group had the highest alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase levels.Conclusions:We concluded that up to 10%FeSO4 mustard seed meal could be incorporated in the quail diet successfully with the least damage to thyroids and livers,but further investigations on these birds are still needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Association of VIPR-1 gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with egg production in laying quails

The laying quail is a worldwide breed which exhibits high economic value. In our current study, the vas- oactive intestinal peptide receptor-1 （VIPR-1） was selected as the candidate gene for identifying traits of egg produc- tion. A single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） detection was performed in 443 individual quails, including 196 quails from the H line, 202 quails from the L line, and 45 wild quails. The SNPs were genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP）. Two mutations （G373T, A313G） were detected in all the tested quail populations. The associated analysis showed that the SNP genotypes of the VIPR-1 gene were sig- nificantly linked with the egg weight of G373T and A313G in 398 quails. The quails with the genotype GG always exhibited the largest egg weight for the two mutations in the H and L lines. Linkage disequilibrium （LD） analysis in- dicated that G373T and A313G loci showed the weakest LD. Seven main diplotypes from the four main reconstructed haplotypes were observed, indicating a significant association of diplotypes with egg weight. Quails with the hlh2 （GGGT） diplotype always exhibited the smallest egg weight and largest egg number at 20 weeks of age. The overall results suggest that the alterations in quails may be linked with potential major loci or genes affecting reproductive traits.

Evaluation of thyme and ajwain as antibiotic growth promoter substitutions on growth performance,carcass characteristics and serum biochemistry in Japanese quails(Coturnix japonica)

The present study was to evaluate thyme and ajwain as antibiotic growth promoter substitutions on growth performance,carcass characteristics and serum biochemistry in Japanese quails(Coturnix japonica).A feeding trial was conducted over 28 d with 4 groups of Japanese quails fed experimental diets formulated to provide no supplementation(control),or control t 55 mg zinc bacitracin/kg,2 g thyme/kg,and 2 g ajwain/kg.At 35 d of age,2 quails from each replicate were sacrificed and eviscerated.Liver,empty small intestine and heart were weighed and calculated as a percentage of live body weight.The carcasses were weighed and the cuts were performed to evaluate the yield of legs and breast.At 35 d of age,2 quails per replicate were chosen and approximately 1-m L blood samples were collected through brachial vein,and concentrations of albumin,total protein,triglyceride,total cholesterol,and high density lipoprotein(HDL)-cholesterol were determined.Final body weight were not affected by the dietary treatment whereas,it tended to increase in quails supplemented with antibiotic.Overall feed conversation ratio values were similar though it tended to improve in quails supplemented with thyme compared with other groups.Daily feed intake,internal organ weights and carcass traits were not influenced by the dietary treatments.Serum total cholesterol contents were lower(P < 0.05) in quails supplemented with ajwain compared with control and quails supplemented with antibiotic and thyme.The highest serum HDL-cholesterol was seen in the group supplemented with thyme compared with other groups.It was concluded that the addition of 2 g/kg thyme can improve serum biochemistry in quails,although its effects on performance criteria was negligible.

Effects of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) powder on laying performance,egg quality,and serum biochemical parameters of Japanese quails

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of stinging nettle powder(SNP) on laying performance,egg quality,and some selected serum biochemical parameters of quails.One hundred and forty-four 10-wk-old Japanese quails(initial body weight=199±18 g) were divided into 3 dietary treatment groups(basic diet without SNP [SNPO],SNPO with 3% SNP [SNP3],SNPO with 6% SNP [SNP6]) with 4 replicates of 12 quails for a rearing period of 12 wk.At 22 wk of age,the final body weights of the SNP3 and SNP6 groups were significantly(P=0.001) reduced compared to that of the SNPO group.Daily feed intake was not statistically different among the groups.The mean number of eggs laid ranged from 65 to 69 with laying rates from 76.8% to 82.1%.The percentage of cracked eggs was not significantly different among the groups and ranged from 1.6% to 1.9%.The egg weight was similar and the feed conversion ratio was closer among the groups.The egg yolk cholesterol,serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels in the SNP6 group were significantly reduced(P <0.001) compared to those of the SNPO group.Serum Ca,P and Mg were not significantly influenced by the supplementation.In conclusion,the results demonstrated that the supplementation of SNP to the quail diet at the level of 6%reduced quail egg yolk cholesterol,serum total cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels and did not negatively influence quail performance.

Pre-cecal phosphorus digestibility for corn, wheat, soybean meal,and corn gluten meal in growing Japanese quails from 28 to 32 d of age

The optimization of dietary phosphorus(P) depends on precise details of the P availability in feed ingredients to avoid excess or deficient P in a mixed diet. This study was carried out to measure the apparent ileal digestibility of P for corn, wheat, soybean meal, and corn gluten meal in growing Japanese quails from 28 to 32 d posthatch, A total of 400 quail chicks were randomly distributed across 5 treatments with 4 replicates and 20 birds in each floor pen. The P-free diet(PFD) was formulated based on cornstarch to measure the basal endogenous P losses(EPL). Digestibility coefficients were determined by ileal digesta sampling using TiO2 as an indigestible marker. The EPL was estimated at 384 mg/kg DMI. The apparent ileal P digestibility(AIPD) for corn, soybean meal, wheat, and corn gluten meal were determined to be 0.38.0.53, 0.38, and 0.78, respectively. The corresponding values for true ileal P digestibility(TIPD) were 0.48.0.61, 0.50, and 0.83, respectively. The t-test analysis showed that the difference of AIPD and TIPD values for corn(P = 0.031) and wheat(P = 0.015) were statistically significant, however, no significant differences were observed for corn gluten meal(P = 0.318) and soybean meal(P = 0.104). In conclusion, the correction of AIPD coefficients for EPL in low-P ingredients such as corn and wheat may be much more important than that in high-P feedstuffs such as corn gluten meal and soybean meal in growing quails.

Effect of The o-Polyphenols on Hepatic Histology of Hy perlipide mia Modelin Quails

Objective: To observe the protective effect of theo-polyphenols (TP) on hepatic histology of hyperlipidemia model in quails. Methods: Model of hyperlipidemia in quails was established. The 75 male quails were divided randomly into 5 groups, 15 in each group. The non-hyperlipidemia group (normal control group) was fed with ordina ry forage. The hyperlipidemia group (hyperlipidemia control group) was fed with high lipid forage. The three TP groups were fed with high lipid forage together with a low (25 mg/kg), middle (50 mg/kg) and high (100 mg/kg) dose of TP respectively. The total experimental period was 6 weeks for all the quails. Results: TP could prevent the increase of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and liver index (LI) caused by high lipid food, thus s howing protective dose-dependant effect on hepatic histology in hyperlipidemia. Conclusion: TP has the effect of regulating serum lipids in preventing and treating fatty liver.

Myostatin gene role in regulating traits of poultry species for potential industrial applications

The myostatin(MSTN)gene is considered a potential genetic marker to improve economically important traits in live-stock,since the discovery of its function using the MSTN knockout mice.The anti-myogenic function of the MSTN gene was further demonstrated in farm animal species with natural or induced mutations.In poultry species,myo-genesis in cell culture was regulated by modulation of the MSTN gene.Also,different expression levels of the MSTN gene in poultry models with different muscle mass have been reported,indicating the conserved myogenic function of the MSTN gene between mammalian and avian species.Recent advances of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome edit-ing techniques have led to development of genome-edited poultry species targeting the MSTN gene to clearly dem-onstrate its anti-myogenic function and further investigate other potential functions in poultry species.This review summarizes research conducted to understand the function of the MSTN gene in various poultry models from cells to whole organisms.Furthermore,the genome-edited poultry models targeting the MSTN gene are reviewed to inte-grate diverse effects of the MSTN gene on different traits of poultry species.

Numerical three-dimensional modeling of earthen dam piping failure

A physically-based numerical three-dimensional earthen dam piping failure model is developed for homogeneous and zoned soil dams.This model is an erosion model,coupled with force/moment equilibrium analyses.Orifice flow and two-dimensional(2D)shallow water equations(SWE)are solved to simulate dam break flows at different breaching stages.Erosion rates of different soils with different construction compaction efforts are calculated using corresponding erosion formulae.The dam's real shape,soil properties,and surrounding area are programmed.Large outer 2D-SWE grids are used to control upstream and downstream hydraulic conditions and control the boundary conditions of orifice flow,and inner 2D-SWE flow is used to scour soil and perform force/moment equilibrium analyses.This model is validated using the European Commission IMPACT(Investigation of Extreme Flood Processes and Uncertainty)Test#5 in Norway,Teton Dam failure in Idaho,USA,and Quail Creek Dike failure in Utah,USA.All calculated peak outflows are within 10%errors of observed values.Simulation results show that,for a V-shaped dam like Teton Dam,a piping breach location at the abutment tends to result in a smaller peak breach outflow than the piping breach location at the dam's center;and if Teton Dam had broken from its center for internal erosion,a peak outflow of 117851 m'/s,which is 81%larger than the peak outflow of 65120 m3/s released from its right abutment,would have been released from Teton Dam.A lower piping inlet elevation tends to cause a faster/earlier piping breach than a higher piping inlet elevation.

Experimental study of osthole on treatment of hyperlipidemic and alcoholic fatty liver in animals

AIM： To evaluate the effects of osthole on fatty liver, and investigate the possible mechanism. METHODS： A quail model with hyperlipidemic fatty liver and rat model with alcoholic fatty liver were set up by feeding high fat diet and alcohol, respectively. These experimental animals were then treated with osthole 5-20 mg/kg for 6 wk, respectively. Whereafter, the lipid in serum and hepatic tissue, and coefficient of hepatic weight were measured. RESULTS： After treatment with osthole the levels of serum total cholesterol （TC）, triglyceride （TG）, lower density lipoprotein-cholesterol （LDL-C）, coefficient of hepatic weight, and the hepatic tissue contents of TC and TG were significantly decreased. The activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD） in liver was improved. In alcohol-induced fatty liver rats, the level of malondialdehyde （MDA） in liver was decreased. In high fat-induced fatty liver quails, glutathione peroxidase （GSH-PX） in liver was significantly improved. The histological evaluation of liver specimens demonstrated that the osthole dramatically decreased lipid accumulation. CONCLUSION： These results suggested that osthole had therapeutic effects on both alcohol and high fatinduced fatty liver. The mechanism might be associated with its antioxidation.

Abdominal Fat Accumulation with Hyperuricemia and Hypercholesterolemia Quail Model Induced by High Fat Diet

Objective To establish abdominal fat accumulation with hyperuricemia and hypercholesterolemia quail model fed with high fat diet. And then to investigate the pathological characteristics of this quail model. Methods Thirty Longcheng quails were randomly divided into two groups： control group and model group （n=15）. The control group quails were fed with normal diet and model group quails were fed with high fat diet for 14 days. After a 12-hour overnight fast, liver and abdominal fat at euthanasia as well as serum were collected. The levels of serum uric acid, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）, low density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）, triglyceride, free fatty acid （FFA）, and blood glucose were assayed. The activity changes of adenosine deaminase （ADA）, xanthine oxidase （XOD）, lipoprotein lipase （LPL）, hepatic lipase （HL）, and fatty acid synthetase （FAS） were analyzed. Results Compared with control group, the abdominal fat content （0.74±0.63 vs. 1.36±0.65 g, P〈0.05） and abdominal fat index （0.44%±0.30% vs. 0.85%±0.30%, P〈0.01） as well as live lipid index （3.61%±0.65% vs. 11.33%±2.14%, P〈0.01） in model group significantly increased; the levels of serum uric acid （210.61±94,76 vs. 304.25±141.94 /amol/L, P〈0.05）, total cholesterol （4.20±0.51 vs. 20.10±11.25 mmol/L, P〈0.01）, LDL-C （1.16±0.29 vs. 10.78±6.48 mmol/L, P〈0.01）, and FFA （0.39±0.14 vs. 0.55±0.15 mmol/L, P〈0.01） in model group significantly increased; HDL-C （5.85±0.95 vs. 4.14±2.03 mmol/L, P〈0.05） significantly decreased; the levels of triglyceride and blood glucose had no significant changes （P〉0.05）; the activities of ADA （9.71±3.05 vs. 17.19±5.10 U/ml, P〈0.01） and XOD （10.58±6,88 vs. 19.22＋9.44 U/L, P〈0.01） in model group significantly increased; and FAS, LPL, HL had no significant changes （P〉0.05）. Conclusions High fat diet can induce abdominal fat accumulation with hyperuricemia and hypercholesterolemia quail model. The changes of uric acid and lipid metabolic enzyme activities may he the pathological mechanism of abdominal fat accumulation with hyperuricemia and hypercholesterolemia.

Effection of Lead Poisoning and Newcastle Disease Vaccine on Development of Egg Yellow Feather Quail

[ Objective] To investigate the effects of Newcastle disease vaccination and lead exposure on growth and development of egg yellow feather quail. [ Method] Ninety 14-day-old quails were assigned randomly to 10 groups （ n = 9）, and they fed and drunk at liberty. A 2 ×5 factorial design was used. The quail immunized with ND vaccine and those non-immunized were exposed to lead at a dosage of 0, 50,500, 1 000 and 2 000 mg/L, respectively. [Result] The ND immunization reduced body weight significantly （ P 〈 0.01 ） and increased liver index and serum levels of hy- aluronic acid in quail within 1 -2 weeks post inoculation. The quail exposed to 2 000 mg/L lead acetate had significantly lower body weight than the control （ P 〈 0.01 ）. From 7 weeks old, the same inhibitory effect was observed in the quail＇exposed to lead at different dosages （ P 〈 0.01 ）. In addition, the lead poisoning could cause decreased feed intake, depilation, gonadal dysgenesis, and increased serum levels of hyaluronic acid. [ Conduslon] The inhibitory effect of ND vaccination on growth of quail occurs within 1 -2 weeks post inoculation; thus, the effects of immune stress should not be worried in quail production. The lead poisoning has significant effects on body weight and feed intake of quail, and lead dosage and duration affect the inhibitory effects of lead. Gonadal dysgenesis is an important indicator of lead poisoning in. quail. The serum levels of hyaluronic acid can be used to determine whether the quail have been immunized with ND vaccine or have contacted lead pollutants.

Identification of the Sex of Earlier Embryos from Generic Hybrids of Chicken-Quail by Wpkci

In this study, a protocol was developed to identify the sex of earlier embryos of chicken （♂）-quail （♀） hybrids and successfully tested the sex proportion of each period （66-120 h）. We acquired cross bred eggs by artificial insemination, hatched them in the same batch according to the standard hatching condition of chicken, and collected earlier living embryos at 66, 72, 78, 84, 90, 96, 102, 108, 114, and 120 h randomly. We adopted RT-PCR protocol and multiple PCR, made the known sex quail as the external control, employed fl-actin as the internal control, and used primers that were designed according to conservative area of gene Wpkci of quail to identify the sex of earlier hybrid embryos. The results indicated that the primer of Wpkci can be used to identify the sex of hybrid embryos accurately; there were more male than female in earlier embryos, the sex proportion of earlier embryos compared with academic numerical value was significantly different （P〈0.01）, and there was no difference between different periods （P〉0.05）. In the present study, we concluded that a simple, fast, credible and stable protocol to identify the sex of earlier hybrids embryos had been established by using primer of Wpkci; in earlier embryos, the death rate of female was higher than that of male and there was no fluctuant peak.

Effects of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Rhizomes Essential Oil on Some Reproductive Parameters in Laying Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

To assess the effect of ginger rhizomes essential oil on some reproductive parameters of laying birds, 80 female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) aged 3 weeks and weighing between 120 - 130 g were randomly assigned into 4 dietary treatment groups in a completely randomized design. From 3 till 13 weeks, birds in group 1 (control) received distilled water orally (100 μl/kg body weight), while the other three test groups during the same period, received respectively by gavage 50, 100 and 150 μl of ginger roots essential oil per kg body weight. At 11 weeks old, eight birds per group in each treatment were randomly selected and slaughtered, blood samples collected for analysis. On the other hand, the remaining females were maintained 3 with one untreated male in identical boxes per treatment, for fertility assessment, eggs characteristics and hatchability traits. Throughout the experiment, biochemical parameters, eggs characteristics, fertility and hatchability traits were analyzed. No significant change (p > 0.05) was observed during the experimental period for body and relative ovary weights. Contrary, the relative uterus weight significantly increased (p < 0.05) in dose-dependent manner. The level of serum total proteins, LH, FSH and estradiol significantly increased (p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Also, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, total hatchability and chick’s weight significantly increased (p < 0.05) in birds received 100 and 150 μl/kg b.w compared to those of control group. On the other hand, embryonic mortality decreased significantly (p < 0.05) whatever the ginger rhizomes essential oil dose. It was concluded that ginger rhizomes essential oil enhances bird reproductive performances, proteins and reproductive hormone levels and hatchability traits in treated female quails.

Effects of Dietary Mannan Oligosaccharides and Calcium Formate on Performance and Egg Quality of Japanese Quail （Coturnixjaponica）

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of dietary supplementation of mannan oligosaccharides （MOS）, extracted from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and acidifier calcium formate （CF） on some performance parameters and egg quality characteristics of Japanese quail （Coturnixjaponica）. During the experimental period, which lasted 90 days, one hundred eighty three, 42-day-old quail, were distributed into 4 groups of 3 replications each and were placed in separate wire suspended cages. The birds of control group received a commercial feed, while the birds of the other 3 groups received the same feed, to which either 6 g CF kg^-1 or 1 g MOS kg^-1 or both 6 g CF kg^-1 plus 1 g MOS kg^-1 were added. The live weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and mortality of birds were not significantly affected. The addition of MOS in the feed significantly （P 〈 0.05） increased palmitic acid percentage of egg yolk. Also, the addition of CF significantly （P 〈 0.05） decreased egg shape index and palmitic acid percentage of egg yolk. Furthermore, significant （P 〈 0.05） interaction between MOS and CF was observed on palmitic acid percentage, egg shape index and egg shell thickness. No significant effect was observed for egg： weight, specific weight, parts percentage （yolk, albumen, shell）, shell deformation, yolk diameter and yolk colour （L＊a＊b＊ colour space）.

Chromosomal Localization of a Quail Homeobox Gene: Quox-1

Quox 1 is an Antp like homeobox gene of quail embryo whose expression occurs throughout the developing central nevous system. Using a Dig labeled probe, we localized quox 1 gene on the terminal region of the long arm of quail's chromosome 1 by ISH.