1. A total of 400 Alectoris chukar partridges were reared in either barn or free-range production systems and slaughtered at 14, 16 or 18 weeks of age in order to determine the effects of production system, age and gender on carcass traits (live weight, carcass weight, carcass yield, carcass part and edible inner organ percentages at slaughtering) and meat quality (L*, a* and b* meat colour and pH). 2. Production system had a significant effect on both slaughter traits and meat quality. 3. Partridges raised in barn conditions had higher live weights and carcass weights whereas meat quality was better in birds raised in the free-range system.

Successful incubation affects the number of healthy chicks in all poultry species. This study examined the effect of eggshell thickness on the hatching rates of guinea fowl and pheasant eggs. In total, 964 guinea fowl and 1,728 pheasant eggs were used in the study. Eggshell thickness was measured directly with an ultrasound gauge. Thicknesses ranged between 0.27-0.47 mm in guinea fowl and 0.24-0.49 mm in pheasant eggs. Incubation periods were 28 days for guinea fowl and 25 days for pheasant eggs. At the end of the incubation period, unhatched eggs were broken to identify the causes of embryonic mortality. Eggs were classified as thin-, medium- and thick-shelled, and hatching rates were calculated as a function of eggshell thickness. Differences in hatching rates of guinea fowl and pheasant eggs with different shell thicknesses were not statistically significant (p>0.05)

Incubation is an important factor in poultry production, particularly in species with relatively low fertility and hatchability rates. This study examined the effect of eggshell thickness on hatching traits of partridges (A. chukar). A total of 462 eggs from intensively reared partridges were separated into three groups according to eggshell thickness, which was measured ultrasonically before incubation. Hatchability, chick weight, and chick length were assessed at the end of the incubation period. Hatching times were recorded during hatching. Embryonic mortalities in unhatched eggs were classified according to mortality stage at the end of incubation. The effect of eggshell thickness on hatchability was found to be insignificant for all groups. Moreover, eggshell thickness had no significant effect on chick weight or length.

Selection of meat-type chickens is primarily focused on growth rate and body composition improvement. The negative relationship between growth and reproduction related characteristics makes rearing and breeding applications difficult. Although the studies on chicken breeding have more than 150 years of history, the speed-up have been derived only in last 75 years. While selection breeding birds based on their phenotype for such traits as skeletal integrity, body conformation, condition, morbidity etc. Over the years, progress has been made in terms of number of hatching eggs, egg weight and hatchability at the parent stocks. For the meat-type chickens, the average body weight gain was 8 g per day and feed conversion rate was 5.0 until the age of slaughter in the first quarter of the 20th century, whereas at the beginning of the 21th century, these characteristics reached 66 g and 1.7, respectively. Improvement in body weight and the feed conversion ratio of the genotypes which have been used for broiler production is because of the development in genetics. Besides these developments, some problems have surfaced regarding immune function, skeletal disorders, liability, and in the breeder level reproductive troubles.