| Golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) is a monotypic and special species of China. It is a seasonal reproductive species. In nature, it breeds once a year in spring. From Oct. 1998 to Jan. 2000, we studied the effects of photo-period on inducing the birds to reproduce and succeeded in different seasons. And we also studied the growth curve, energy bud gets of autumn reproductive period' nutrient composition of eggs, muscle and feather of the birds. These results would support us to do scheduled reproduction and improve the technique level in rearing the birds. The main result such as:I The effects of photo-periods on inducing reproduction in adult golden pheasant in winter.The adult bird reproductive performance was significantly affected by photo-period in winter. Considered of all of the reproductive performance indicators, the reproductive performance of the group exposure to 14L:10D was the best, the 16L:8D group's was less and the 12L:12D group's was worst. It maybe that the birds' CDL (critical day-length) for inducing egg production or for optimal egg production was about ≤12L: 12D and 14L: 10D in winter. In theory, it was necessary for golden pheasant to be provided ≤12L: 12D photo-period that induced the bird to reproduce in winter.The bird exposure to 12L: 12D had no fertilized egg. The other groups' fertility were only 15.05% (14L: 10D), 20.41% (16L: 8D). The respective hatch-ability of fertilized egg were 76.47% (14L: 10D), 80.00%(16L: 8D) and normal. The most fertilized eggs (77.78%) were laid in two replicates of the two longer photo-period groups. The males sexual development, in non-natural seasonal reproductive period in artificial illumination, was different among individuals obviously. The day of the peak of laying fertilized egg was about 4-5 weeks behind the day of onset of laying. The sexual developments of males were out of step (non-synchronous) with the females in this experiment, its model was laying first and mating later. In practice, we should provide photo-stimulation 4~5 weeks for males before females.II The changes of reproductive performance with body weight and seasonsThe bird reproductive performance varied significantly with seasons. And the winter's was the worst. Autumn's was the best. There was no significant difference between autumn's and spring's. In autumn, the birds average laying periods was 59.07 + 7.27 days, the average egg production was 21.00 ± 3.51eggs/bird and 598.65 +105.33g/bird, and the average laying ratio was 38.13 ±5.48%. And each was as large as 169%, 204%, 200%, 186% of each indicators of the birds in winter. The reproductive performance of younger golden pheasant was superior to that of older ones in autumn.The IFE (Interval between onset of the photo-stimulation and laying the first egg.) varied from 37.67 to 40.50 days and don't varied with seasons significantly. It would support us to do scheduled reproduction in the bird rearing.The reproductive performance of birds was significant positive correlative to its body weight (BW). BW was an important factor that affected the reproductive performance of the birds. The indicators, such as the female average body weight was 690 + 22 g, 85% confidence limits of body weight mean was about 658-724 g, could be as the reference indicators using in selection females in breeder production.ITT The characteristics of golden pheasant egg-layingAbout 70% of eggs was laid in the afternoon and evening (from 12:00 to 20:00). And only 1.8% of eggs was laid in morning (8:00-12:00). So the optimum time, for artificial insemination in golden pheasant reproduction, was about 9:00 to 10:00 in every morning. In normal, the laying curve of the rearing bird population was most like a bell-shape curve. When we calculated the laying ratio of the birds with the practical layer number, the ratio varied less in the whole reproductive period. The characteristics differed from domestic birds.IV The effects of photo-periods on accelerating the sexual maturation of sub-yearly female golden pheasantReasonable photo-periodical treatments could accelerate the sexual maturation proceeding of sub-yearly golden pheasant and the birds reproduced in winter. The birds laid the first egg in 38 weeks of ages. And it was about 12 weeks in advance than those live in nature. But there was no fertilized egg laid in the experiment cycle. The gonadal development of males lagged behinds that of females in artificial illumination.V Analysis of growth curves in golden pheasantThe indicators, such as: body weight (BW, g), body length(BL, mm), winglength (WL, mm), tarsometatarsus length (TL, mm), and culmen length(CL, mm) of golden pheasant from hatching till 163 days of age, were measured in this study. Gompertz function was suitable to describe the growth curve of BW, BL, WL, CL (R>0.97) and Logistic function was suitable for TL(R=0.9886). Gompertz function, BWt=BWoxe(L/K)(leKt) , where BWt is the body weight at age t, BW0 is the estimated hatching weight, L the initial specific growth rate and K is the rate of exponential decay of the initial specific growth rate L(which measures the rate of decline of the growth rate). The growth curves of the birds such as:Body Weight(BW): BWt=21.52Xexp((0.09307/ 0.02798) X(l-exp(-0.02798t))), R=0.9869; Body Length (BL): BLt=82.69 X exp((0.03065/ 0.02677) X (l-exp(-0.02677t))), R=0.9742; Wing Length (WL):WLt=32.16 Xexp((0.08671/0.05141) X(l-exp(-0.05141t))), R=0.9857; Tarsometatarsus Length (TL): TLt=86.83/ (1+2.195 X exp(-0.03953 X t)), R=0.9896;Culmen Length (CL): CLt= 8.542 X exp((0.02014/ 0.01781) X (l-exp(-0.01781t))), RO.9752.The reflection point of BW was (42.95 days of age, 220.4g). The days of age while it completes the 90% BW growth mass were 123.4 days. We suggest that 0-6 weeks of age is the chicken period. 7-18weeks and 19 weeks of age to onset of laying each are the early and the latter period of growing period of golden pheasant.The correlative efficiency, among of BW, BL, WL, TL and CL, has up to significant level (p<0.05). But the correlative efficiency of TL to BW, BL, WL, CL were higher than others do. It indicated that TL was suitable to describe the growth condition of golden pheasant as domestic birds.VI Energy budgets of golden pheasant in autumn reproductive periodWe measured the energy budgets, feed intake of golden pheasant in autumn reproductive period, in 1999. And established the corresponding regressive equations about ME intake (ME,), feed intake (FI) to metabolic body weight (W075, Kg), body weight increase (AW, g/day) and egg production (EE, g/day) of the birds as : Y=a+bj A W+b2EE. The equations are:The ME requirements function of the birds were ME^ 629.74W075+34.54 A W+0.2125EE (layers), ME,=587.50W°-75+34.00AW (non-layers) and ME,= 623.56W°75+22.53AW (cocks) . The feed-intake of the birds were FI= 51.56W°75+2.660AW+0.0314EE (layers), FI=49.16W°75+2.693 A W (non-layers) and FI=51.51W°75+1.845AW(cocks). According the efficiency of "EE"in the each equation, we can calculate the transferred efficiency of ME to egg energy deposition, these efficiency were large than 100%. Therefore, the golden pheasant females could use the nutrition reservation to meet the need of reproductive requirements, in reproductive periods.Assumed the average body weight of non-layers, cocks and layers were 0.52, 0.612 and 0.715Kg, AW=0, EE=17.0g/day, the ME requirements of non-layers, cocks and layers were 489.6, 359.8, 431.5 KJ/bird/day; FI were 44.46> 29.50^ 33.61 g/bird/day.W The nutrient composition of golden pheasant egg, muscle and featherWe measured the nutrient composition of golden pheasant eggs, muscle and feather. We analysed the co-relationship between the NRC ideal EAA (essential amino acids) model and the EAA composition model of each sample, and the results suggested that the EAA model of the egg eatable part was closed to the NRC ideal EAA model. In theory, the Met and Lys amino acids requirements of golden pheasant in autumn breeding period were 106 mg/day and 296 mg/day. The proportion of Met to Lys amino acids requirements was 1:2.8. It was lower than that in NRC ideal EAA model (1:2.0). So Lys may not be the limited amino acid in golden pheasant diet. Vm The breeding characteristics and rearing management of golden pheasantAccording to the practical rearing experience and the results of the scientific experiments in the past years, we summarized the ecological habits, breeding characteristics and rearing management technique of golden pheasant in this section. It can be used as the references for workers in the relative fields. |
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