Effects of sex on carcass traits, visceral organs, and meat quality in European quails (Coturnix coturnix)

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of sex on carcass traits and meat quality of European quails. A total of 300 one-day-old meat-type quails were reared as a mixed flock until 15 days of age, at which point 100 males and 100 females were selected. At 35 days of age, 50 birds of each sex, with body weights within ±10 % of the mean for their respective sex, were slaughtered following feed withdrawal. Carcass traits, commercial cuts, visceral organ traits, and meat quality were assessed based on muscle pH, surface color (L*, a*, and b*), cooking loss, and shear force. Sex significantly influenced (P < 0.05) carcass traits, with females exhibiting greater body weight, full carcass weight, eviscerated carcass weight, and breast weight than males, whereas males had greater thigh and back yields. Females also exhibited greater absolute weights and relative yields of the liver, intestine, and spleen, as well as greater gizzard weight and intestinal length. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed for wing, thigh, or back weights, heart weight, cooking loss, shear force, pH, or meat color parameters. In conclusion, sex influenced carcass traits and visceral organ traits in European quails but did not affect meat quality under the conditions of the present study.

Keywords:
carcass traits; commercial cuts; meat quality; quail production; sexual dimorphism

Resumo

Este estudo avaliou a influência do sexo sobre as características de carcaça, dos órgãos viscerais e da qualidade da carne de codornas europeias. Foram utilizadas 300 codornas de corte de um dia de idade, criadas em lote misto até os 15 dias, quando foram selecionados 100 machos e 100 fêmeas. Aos 35 dias de idade, 50 aves de cada sexo, com peso corporal dentro de ±10 % da média do respectivo grupo, foram submetidas ao abate após jejum alimentar. Foram avaliadas as características de carcaça, os rendimentos dos cortes comerciais, as características dos órgãos viscerais e os atributos de qualidade da carne, incluindo pH muscular, parâmetros de cor (L, a e b*), perda de peso por cocção e força de cisalhamento. O sexo afetou significativamente (P < 0,05) as características de carcaça, sendo observados maiores peso corporal, peso da carcaça antes da evisceração, peso da carcaça eviscerada e peso do peito nas fêmeas em comparação aos machos. Por outro lado, os machos apresentaram maiores rendimentos de coxa e dorso. As fêmeas também apresentaram maiores pesos absolutos e rendimentos relativos de fígado, intestino e baço, além de maior peso de moela e maior comprimento intestinal. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas (P > 0,05) para os pesos de asa, coxa e dorso, peso cardíaco, perda de peso por cocção, força de cisalhamento, pH ou parâmetros de cor da carne. Conclui-se que o sexo influencia as características de carcaça e o desenvolvimento dos órgãos viscerais de codornas europeias, sem, entretanto, alterar os atributos de qualidade da carne nas condições avaliadas.

Palavras-chave:
características da carcaça; cortes comerciais; qualidade da carne; produção de codornas; dimorfismo sexual

1. Introduction

Quail production has progressively expanded within the poultry industry, driven by technological advances and the modernization of production systems. While quail farming has traditionally focused on egg production, this growth has broadened production opportunities and increased interest in meat-type quails (¹-³).

For many years, quail meat production was considered secondary, relying primarily on culled laying birds and surplus males at the end of the first laying cycle (⁴). This scenario changed with the introduction of European quails (Coturnix coturnix), a genetic line specifically developed for meat production. These birds exhibit rapid growth, can be slaughtered from 35 days of age, and achieve high carcass yields, with eviscerated carcass yields typically exceeding 65 % of live weight (⁵-⁷). Despite these advantages, quail meat consumption remains limited, largely confined to specialized restaurants and major commercial centers, reflecting its higher market value and status as a niche product (⁴).

Consumer acceptance of quail meat is closely linked to quality attributes such as pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), color, texture, tenderness, flavor, and juiciness (⁸). Among the factors affecting these characteristics, sex has been identified as a significant source of variation. Abreu et al. (⁵) reported differences in ultimate pH between males and females, suggesting that sex may influence meat quality traits.

Despite the growing importance of meat-type quail production, scientific information supporting management, nutrition, and breeding strategies remains scarce (⁴). In addition, the lack of standardized commercial genetic lines contributes to considerable variability in performance and carcass traits across production systems (⁹). However, the magnitude of sex-related differences in carcass traits and meat quality remains inconsistent among studies, likely due to variations in genetic lines, management practices, and slaughter age.

Studies evaluating the influence of sex on carcass traits, organ development, and meat quality are therefore needed to improve our understanding of the biology of meat-type quails and provide technical information for optimizing production systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sex on carcass traits, commercial cuts, visceral organ traits, and meat quality in European quails (Coturnix coturnix) and to identify potential productive and physiological differences between males and females.

2. Material and methods

All procedures performed in this study were reviewed and approved by the Committee on Ethics in the Use of Farm Animals of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (CEUAP/UFV; Protocol No. 0107/2022), in accordance with the ethical principles established by the Brazilian National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA). The experiment was conducted at the Teaching, Research, and Extension Unit in Poultry Production and Nutrition (UEPE AVES), Department of Animal Science, Center for Agricultural Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

A total of 300 one-day-old European quails (Coturnix coturnix) from the Fujikura Genetics commercial meat-type line (Granja Fujikura, Suzano, São Paulo, Brazil), with an average initial body weight of 9.0 ± 0.3 g, were housed and reared under standard management conditions. From 1 to 15 days of age, the birds were maintained as a mixed-sex flock, and this period was considered the pre-experimental phase. During this period, the quails were housed in brooding rings equipped with heating lamps, chick feeders, and drinkers, with the stocking density adjusted according to the recommendations of Muniz et al. (¹⁰). The birds were maintained under artificial heating and continuous lighting throughout this period to ensure adequate thermal comfort and promote feed intake.

At 15 days of age, the birds were sexed based on external morphological characteristics, as described by Muniz et al. (¹⁰), and 100 males and 100 females were selected to initiate the experimental phase. The quails were transferred to separate masonry pens measuring 3.0 × 1.5 m, with one pen allocated to each sex. They were maintained under identical management, feeding, and environmental conditions, with natural lighting and ambient ventilation until 35 days of age. Because the objective of the study was to evaluate individual carcass traits, organ development, and meat quality after slaughter, and productive performance was not evaluated during the experimental period, each slaughtered bird was considered the experimental unit. At the end of the experimental period, 50 males and 50 females with body weights within ± 10 % of the mean for their respective sex were randomly selected for evaluation of carcass yield, commercial cuts, organ development, and meat quality traits.

The experimental diets were formulated with corn, soybean meal, and soybean oil according to the nutritional requirements of the meat-type quails (¹¹). The ingredient composition and calculated nutritional values of the experimental diets provided during the starter (1–21 days) and grower (22–35 days) phases are presented in Table 1.

Table 1.
Ingredient composition (%) and calculated nutritional values of experimental diets for meat-type quails during the starter (1–21 d) and grower (22–35 d) phases.

Ingredients (%)	Phases
	Starter 1–21 d	Grower 22 - 35 d
Ground corn (7 % CP)	47.09	58.72
Soybean meal (45 % CP)	45.56	35.97
Soybean oil	2.91	1.46
Dicalcium phosphate	1.36	1.00
Limestone	1.04	0.93
Inert (sand)	0.70	0.71
DL-Methionine (99 %)	0.40	0.37
Salt (NaCl)	0.38	0.38
L-Threonine (98 %)	0.22	0.00
L-Lysine (98 %)	0.14	0.26
Mineral premix1	0.10	0.10
Vitamin premix2	0.10	0.10
Calculated nutritional composition
Metabolizable energy (kcal/kg)	2900	2950
Crude protein (%)	25	21.5
Digestible lysine (%)	1.37	1.23
Digestible methionine + cystine (%)	1.04	0.94
Digestible methionine (%)	0.709	0.64
Digestible tryptophan (%)	0.23	0.23
Digestible threonine (%)	1.04	0.71
Calcium (%)	0.85	0.73
Available phosphorus (%)	0.38	0.3
Sodium (%)	0.17	0.17
Crude fiber (%)	2.74	2.74
Chloride (%)	0.278	0.26

• ¹⁾
  Mineral premix (per kg of diet): manganese, 82 mg; iron, 58.4 mg; selenium, 0.35 mg; copper, 11.6 mg; iodine, 1.18 mg.
• ²⁾
  Vitamin premix (per kg of diet): vitamin A, 13,493 IU; vitamin D3, 3,374 IU; vitamin E, 50.5 IU; vitamin B1, 3.64 mg; vitamin B2, 9.0 mg; vitamin B6, 5.05 mg; pantothenic acid, 18.1 mg; biotin, 0.126 mg; vitamin K3, 2.71 mg; folic acid, 1.26 mg; niacin, 54.9 mg; vitamin B12, 0.022 mg.

2.1 Carcass yield, cuts, and organ traits

At 35 days of age, 50 males (223.50 g) and 50 females (238.28 g), with body weights within ±10 % of the mean for their respective sex, were subjected to an 8-h feed withdrawal period and then transported to the UEPE AVES slaughter facility for processing and data collection. The birds were stunned by cervical dislocation and exsanguinated via a jugular vein incision. Carcasses were scalded at 56 °C for 2 min, individually defeathered, manually eviscerated, and chilled at 8 °C. Excess water was drained on a perforated stainless-steel conveyor belt, followed by removal of the head, neck, and feet.

Carcass weight and the absolute weights of the breast, thigh, wings, edible viscera (liver, gizzard, and heart), and nonedible viscera (intestine and spleen) were recorded. All carcasses and commercial cuts were weighed using a semianalytical balance (Shimadzu BL series, model BL 3200 H).

Prior to weighing, residual intestinal contents were removed by gentle compression, and the gizzard was cleaned while retaining koilin membrane (the internal lining that protects the organ against gastric acid activity). Yield percentages were calculated as the ratio of the weight of each component and to carcass weight, expressed as a percentage, according to the following equation:

$Yield\left(\%\right)=\left(Componentweight/Carcassweight\right)\times 100$

2.2 Meat quality

To evaluate meat quality, the pectoralis major muscle was collected after slaughter and stored under refrigeration for 24 h (1–4 °C). The analyses included pH (24 h postmortem), surface color (L*, a*, b*) of meat, cooking loss (CL), and shear force (SF). Muscle pH was measured at four distinct locations on the pectoralis major muscle using a temperature-compensated digital pH meter (Oakton pH 300, series 35618) equipped with a penetration electrode (¹²).

Surface color was measured using a portable colorimeter (Minolta CR-400) calibrated with illuminant D65 (Y = 93.7; x = 0.3160; y = 0.3323) based on the CIELab system. L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) were recorded on the meat and skin surface. Cooking loss was determined according to the method described by Froning and Uijttenboogaart (¹³). Individual breast halves were weighed, packaged, and cooked in a water bath (Thermomix BM-18BU) at 80 °C for 60 min. The samples were then placed in a cold chamber and cooled until they reached 2 °C before being reweighed to calculate cooking loss.

Meat tenderness was evaluated by shear force analysis using standardized samples (1 × 1 × 2 cm), with muscle fibers oriented perpendicular to the blade of the texturometer (¹⁴). Measurements were performed using a Stable Micro Systems TA.XT Plus texture analyzer equipped with a Warner–Bratzler probe, calibrated with a 5-kg weight and operated at a crosshead speed of 200 mm/min. Data acquisition and processing were conducted using Exponent Lite software (version 5.1) (¹⁵).

2.3 Statistical analysis

Statistical analyses were performed using Sisvar software. Each slaughtered quail served as the experimental unit. Residual normality and homogeneity of variances were assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk and Levene’s tests, respectively. When the assumptions were met, the data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with sex as the fixed effect. Differences were considered statistically significant at P < 0.05.

3. Results

Sex significantly influenced (P < 0.05) body weight (238.28 vs. 223.50 g), full carcass weight (225.86 vs. 214.52 g), eviscerated carcass weight (178.03 vs. 170.58 g), and breast weight (68.10 vs. 63.52 g), with females exhibiting greater values than males (Table 2). No significant differences (P > 0.05) were detected between sexes for thigh, wing, or back weights.

Table 2.
Absolute weights and relative yields of carcass and commercial cuts and intestinal length of male and female European quails.

Absolute values (g)
	Body weight	Full carcass weight	Eviscerated carcass weight	Breast weight	Thigh weight	Wing weight	Back weight
Male	223.50	214.52	170.58	63.52	38.48	14.88	53.66
Female	238.28	225.86	178.03	68.10	39.28	14.75	53.46
P- value	0.0001	0.0009	0.0021	0.0003	0.173	0.431	0.86
SEM	2.287	2.353	1.668	0.854	0.413	0.246	0.80

	Relative yields (%)					Intestinal length
	Eviscerated carcass yield	Breast yield	Thigh yield	Wing yield	Back yield	(cm)
Male	79.60	29.63	17.96	6.77	25.06	51.08
Female	78.95	30.30	17.44	6.47	23.68	54.89
P value	0.3345	0.1228	0.0318	0.0789	0.0015	0.0001
SEM	0.4929	0.718	0.1710	0.1193	0.2985	0.660

When carcass traits were expressed as percentages, males had greater thigh (17.96 vs. 17.44 %) and back yields (25.06 vs. 23.68 %) than females (P < 0.05). Eviscerated carcass, breast, and wing yields did not differ between sexes (P > 0.05) (Table 2). Intestinal length was significantly greater in females than in males (54.89 vs. 51.08 cm; P < 0.05).

With respect to visceral organ traits, females exhibited significantly higher absolute weights than males for liver (5.69 vs. 4.31 g), gizzard (5.05 vs. 4.61 g), spleen (0.15 vs. 0.12 g), and intestine (7.10 vs. 5.82 g) (P < 0.05), whereas heart weight did not differ between sexes (P > 0.05) (Table 3). Similarly, relative liver, spleen, and intestine yields (2.51 vs. 1.99 %, 0.06 vs. 0.05 %, and 3.13 vs. 2.71 %, respectively) were greater in females (P < 0.05), while heart and gizzard yields showed no significant sex-related differences (P > 0.05).

Table 3.
Absolute weights and relative yields of visceral organs from male and female European quails.

	Absolute values (g)
	Heart	Liver	Gizzard	Spleen	Intestine
Male	1.92	4.31	4.61	0.12	5.82
Female	1.97	5.69	5.05	0.15	7.10
P-value	0.3472	0.0001	0.0027	0.0001	0.0001
SEM	0.0406	0.188	0.1005	0.0052	0.1334

	Relative yields (%)
	Heart yield	Liver yield	Gizzard yield	Spleen yield	Intestine yield
Male	0.87	1.99	2.16	0.05	2.71
Female	0.89	2.51	2.23	0.06	3.13
P-value	0.4126	0.0001	0.2784	0.0170	0.0001
SEM	0.018	0.078	0.046	0.0027	0,0549

No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed between males and females for cooking loss (5.70 vs. 6.07 g; 10.13 vs. 9.93 %), shear force (0.68 vs. 0.63 kgf/cm²), pH (5.68 vs. 5.69), or meat color parameters L* (45.30 vs. 45.01), a* (13.40 vs. 13.43), and b* (14.91 vs. 14.67) (Table 4), indicating that sex did not influence the technological quality attributes evaluated in this study.

Table 4.
Meat quality traits of male and female European quail.

	Cooking loss		Shear force	pH	Meat Color
	g	%	kgf/cm2		L*	a*	b*
Male	5.70	10.13	0.68	5.68	45.30	13.40	14.91
Female	6.07	9.93	0.63	5.69	45.01	13.43	14.67
P value	0.1618	0.6419	0.1011	0.6506	0.4226	0.8754	0.0852
SEM	0.186	0.302	0.023	0.019	0.2562	0.1490	0.0996

4. Discussion

The results of the present study are largely consistent with the existing literature on sexual dimorphism in quails, particularly regarding productive performance and carcass traits. Lobato et al. (⁴) reported that females exhibited higher body weights than males when fed diets containing varying protein levels from 1 to 49 days of age. Similarly, Mota et al. (⁶) found greater carcass weights in females among different meat-type quail genotypes evaluated at 35 days of age. Abou-Kassem et al. (¹⁶) also observed higher live weights in females at 5, 6, and 7 weeks of age, supporting the consistency of this pattern across diverse experimental conditions.

Despite this predominant pattern, divergent results have been reported. Abreu et al. (⁵) observed higher hot carcass, chilled carcass, and breast yields in males, despite females having greater live weights. Nevertheless, most authors agree that, unlike traditional domestic species in which males are typically heavier, quails display reversed sexual dimorphism, resulting in heavier females, particularly from the third week of age onward (⁷).

This pattern is likely related to the earlier reproductive development of females, characterized by ovarian growth, increased lipid deposition, and enhanced liver development, which contribute to greater body weight but also greater evisceration losses (¹⁷). Consistent with this explanation, Ferreira et al. (¹⁸) reported higher carcass, breast, thigh, wing, and liver weights in females regardless of dietary methionine + cystine levels, whereas Hanlon et al. (¹⁹) demonstrated that females exhibit greater breast and liver development during the growth phase due to the onset of reproductive maturation. Likewise, Soares et al. (²⁰) reported greater breast weight in females. In the present study, females exhibited greater body weight, carcass weight, breast weight, and eviscerated carcass weight, whereas males showed greater thigh and back yields, indicating that the magnitude of sexual dimorphism may vary depending on genetic line, management practices, and slaughter age (⁵, ²¹).

The greater liver, gizzard, intestine, and spleen weights observed in females suggest more extensive visceral organ development, consistent with the increased metabolic demands of reproductive maturation (²³). Hanlon et al. (¹⁹) attributed greater liver development in females to increased hepatic lipid synthesis during sexual maturation, whereas Ferreira et al. (¹⁸) reported greater relative liver weight regardless of diet. Similarly, previous studies have described greater liver and giblet weights in females, further highlighting the influence of the reproductive system (²⁰, ²¹). The greater spleen weight observed in females may also reflect physiological changes associated with reproductive maturation, whereas greater intestinal development may support the higher nutrient requirements during this stage (²⁴, ²⁵).

No significant differences were observed between males and females in cooking loss, shear force, pH, or meat color, indicating that sex had limited influence on the technological quality of breast meat. Similar findings were reported by Soares et al. (²⁰), who observed no significant effect of sex on cooking loss. Pinheiro et al. (²²) reported cooking loss values ranging from 20.62 % to 28.53 %, suggesting that this trait is more strongly affected by technological factors, such as cooking temperature and cut geometry, than by sex. Although no differences in meat color were detected in the present study, previous investigations have reported greater redness in females (⁵, ²⁶), indicating that this response may vary among populations and production conditions.

Meat color is primarily determined by the concentration and chemical state of myoglobin and hemoglobin pigments, as well as by postmortem pH decline (²⁷). Pinheiro et al. (²²) also reported lower shear force values in quails fed diets containing 21.67 % crude protein, indicating that tenderness may be influenced predominantly by nutritional and technological factors rather than by sex. Likewise, Abreu et al. (⁵) observed lower ultimate pH values in males, whereas no significant sex effect was detected in the present study.

The present findings are also consistent with those of Wegner et al. (²³), who reported that females had greater body weight and more developed visceral organs than males, likely because of physiological changes associated with reproductive development, whereas gastrointestinal morphometry exhibited only limited variation between sexes. Overall, these results indicate that the greater carcass and visceral organ weights observed in female European quails may reflect physiological adaptations to reproductive maturation, whereas meat quality traits remain largely unaffected by sex under the conditions of the present study.

5. Conclusion

Sex influenced carcass traits in European quails, with females showing greater body weight, carcass weight, breast weight, and visceral organ weights than males. However, carcass yield and most commercial-cut yields were not affected by sex, and meat quality traits remained unchanged. These findings indicate that sex should be considered when carcass traits are the primary production objective, whereas meat quality traits appear to be unaffected by sex under the conditions of the present study.

Generative AI use statement

The authors did not use generative Artificial Intelligence tools or technologies in the creation or editing of any part of this manuscript.

Data availability statement

The data will be provided upon request.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brazil (Finance Code 001), for institutional support. The authors also thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the Early Career Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDJ) – Call No. 2021/2023 (Process: 150188/2022-6) and Call No. 32/2023 (Process: 177286/2023-7). In addition, the authors thank Fujikura Farm – SP for donating the birds used in the experiment.

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Editors:

Rondineli P. Barbero

*

corresponding author: [e-mail]

Conflict of interests

There are no conflicts of interest to declare.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  05 Oct 2026
• Date of issue
  2026

History

• Received
  03 Feb 2026
• Accepted
  05 Aug 2026
• Published
  26 Aug 2026