INFLUENCE OF IN OVO ADMINISTRATION OF SOME WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS ON HATCHABILITY TRAITS, GROWTH, CARCASS TRAITS AND BLOOD CHEMISTRY OF JAPANESE QUAILS

A total of 450 fertile Japanese quail eggs were used to determine the impacts of in ovo administration of water-soluble vitamins (C, B-6 and B-12) on the growth performance, carcass traits, hematological and biochemical blood parameters as well as the immune response of Japanese quails. On the 7th day of incubation, the eggs were allocated to live groups: un-injected, 0.1 ml/egg saline, mg/egg vitamin C, 150 mu g/egg vitamin B, and 20 mu g/egg vitamin B-12 . The percentage of early embryonic mortality was increased (P <= 0.001) in all treated groups versus the control group. (licks that hatched from eggs injected with 1 mg/egg vitamin C exhibited a significantly greater (P <= 0.05) live body weight (LBW) than those from the control and saline groups. During 0-2 weeks of age, the chicks hatched from eggs injected with vitamins displayed better feel conversion than the positive or negative controls. In ovo injection of vitamins had no significant effect on all carcass traits. In ovo injection with vitamins C, B-6 and B-12 increased plasma total protein and its fractions compared with the control. Plasma levels of total lipids and cholesterol were decreased in chicks hatched from eggs injected with vitamin C, 150 mu g/egg vitamin B-6 or 20 mu g/egg vitamin B-12 compared with those hatched from control eggs. Plasma T-3 and T-4 were increased in chicks hatched from eggs injected with vitamin C, vitamin B-6 vitamin B-12. 'The relative weights of the bursa of Fabricius and thymus were significantly (P=0.002 or 0.003) increased in the birds hatched from eggs injected with vitamins compared with those in the control or saline group. Thus, in ovo injection of vitamins C, B-6 and B-12 improved the blood profile and immune response of Japanese quail.