AVERAGE PRODUCTION PERFORMANCES OF THE „PHARAOH” AND „BALOTESTI” LAYING QUAILS POPULATIONS

The purpose of the research was to establish the evolution of the egg laying production performance from the „Balotesti" and „ Pharaoh" population in the interval of egg laying weeks 1 - 35. An experiment has been organized at the biggest quail farm in Romania and the only one where the quails are systematically selected; the performances of 900 quails from the two populations are studied. The birds have been maintained with the same fodder, in the same space and in the same environment conditions. The research has shown that the quails from the Balotesti population have an average egg laying percentage of 78.90 ± 2.24, a combined feed consumption of 33.85 ± 0.85 g/capita, a specific consumption of44.79 ± 1.75 g/egg, a body weight of225.99 ± 3.11 g/capita and an egg weight of 12.08 ± 0.15 g, while the egg laying quails from the Pharaoh population have in the same egg laying interval an average egg laying percentage of65.85 ± 2.50, a combined fodder consumption of 36.45 ± 0.96 g/capita, a specific consumption of 47.47 ± 2.35 g/egg, a body weight of250.58 ± 3.37 g and an egg weight of 12.85 ± 0.17 g. In conclusion it can affirmed that the Balotesti laying quails population can be used for egg production, but also in a scheme of improvement as maternal population, and the Pharaoh population can be used directly for meat or as paternal population for obtaining a meat hybrid.