The Development of Quail Embryos Within Several Days

This experiment is carried out to observe the development of quail embryos within several days. The quail embryo usually develops and hatches in 20 to 21 days. We have conducted the experiment up until day 15, which it is consist of 16 eggs in total. During the experiment, all of the quail embryos have been incubated. The reason for incubating the embryos is fertilized eggs can be easily maintained in humidified incubators and during the early stages of development, the embryos float onto the egg yolk that it is using for nutrition. As the embryo grows it sinks into or below the yolk. The regular appearance of somites allowed to observe accurately stages of embryo.

The number of quail embryos up until day 9 is remain 16 eggs, this is because the condition of the embryo suit them to develop well within these days. The development of the amniotic cavity, which will surround the embryo occur. This protect the embryo and allows it to move. The appearance of the allantoic vesicle happened which plays a major role in calcium reabsorption, respiration and waste storage. Although all of the embryo are being incubated in the same incubator, there are still some differences between them such as some of them might be contaminated before they were keeping in the incubator. Contamination can occur in many ways such as the embryo have been exposed to the bacteria and fungi surround and a piece of egg shell cracked contain in the embryo prevent them to develop well. From this reason, the number of quail embryo have been decreased day by day.

On the day 10, the number of quail embryo decreased to 8 in total. Half of them were dead. The embryo produce unpleasant smell and have to throw them away. For the embryo that still survive, the vitelline membrane covered almost the whole yolk. Eye pigmentation is readily visible. The beak’s upper and lower parts are differentiated, as well as wings and legs. The neck stretches and the brain is completely settled in its cavity of the external auditory canal.

On the day 11 to 13, the number of quail embryo that survive is 5 in total. The survived embryo already have the appearance of claws and budding of the first feather follicles keep occur. The growth of allantois occur in these phase and increased vascularization of the vitellus.

On the day 14, one of the embryo died and remained 4 eggs all of them. During those days, the nostrils are present as narrow apertures as well as the growth of eyelids start to develop. The vitelline membrane completely surrounds the yolk and the feather follicles now cover the inferior part of the limbs. On the last day which is day 15, the palpebral aperture has an elliptic shape that tends to become thinner. The allantois reaches its maximum size while the vitellus begins to shrink. The embryo now has the aspect of a quail.