Morphometrical and Histological Study of the Female Reproductive Tract of the Japanese Quail (Coturnixcoturnix japonica) in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the gross morphometric and histological features of the female reproductive tract of the Japanese quail (Coturnixcoturnix japonica) from ten  apparently healthy adult laying quails. The birds had a mean body weight of 143.70±10.03 g. The mean weight and length of the reproductive tract of female Japanese quail from this study were 7.09±2.65 g and 21.13±1.80 cm respectively. The mean length of the various segments of the oviduct obtained from this research was 11.69±0.35 cm, 4.18±0.30 cm, 3.94±0.20 cm and 1.34±0.14 cm for the magnum, isthmus, uterus and vagina respectively. This study obtained the measurement for the external diameters of the various segment of the oviduct of the female Japanese quail to be 0.56±0.21 cm, 0.33±0.02 cm, 1.19±0.08 cm and 0.41±0.03 cm for the magnum, isthmus, uterus and vagina respectively. In the histological studies, the magnum showed well-developed mucosal folds and a ciliated psuedostratified epithelium with its lamina propria abundantly filled with tubular glands. The isthmus also showed a ciliated epithelium. The mucosa of the uterus and vagina has ciliated pseudostratified and thrown into leaf-shaped folds but that of the vagina has numerous, tall, narrow folds bearing many small secondary folds. In conclusion, it can be stated that the morphometrical and histologic observations from this study provides a baseline data for the female reproductive tract of the adult japanese quail.