Influence of housing system on the physical, morphological, and mechanical properties of Japanese quail eggs

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of housing system on the physical, morphological, and mechanical properties of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) eggs. A total of 240 eggs were collected from Japanese quails kept in two different housing systems: cage housing and aviary housing system (120 eggs from each housing system). Eggs from cage housing system were significantly (P<0.05) heavier than eggs from aviary housing system (11.85 g vs. 10.93 g), and were also longer, wider and had significantly (P<0.05) larger geometric mean diameter, surface area and volume. No statistically significant difference in albumen and yolk content was observed between eggs from cage and aviary housing system. Eggs from aviary housing system had significantly higher shell content and shell strength and required greater force to eggshell breaking. The average force required to breaking the shell of Japanese quail eggs from cage and aviary housing system in all three axes was 14.36 N and 12.70 N, respectively.