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The effects of a single dosage of cadmium (Cd) administration on the survival rate, body weight (BW), egg production, egg quality characteristics and hatching outputs in 0, 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3 and 10mg CdCl2/kg BW injected laying quail were studied. It was found that a 10mg Cd injection induced 41.7% mortality. A retainable significant BW loss in the 3mg dosed birds and a decreased egg production in the 1mg and 3mg dosed birds were observed during the first 3 days after injection, and the recovering of the egg production rate was delayed as the doses of Cd injection increased. Cd administration significantly increased the shell membrane weight in 0.1mg and 0.3mg injection, decreased the eggshell thickness in 0.3mg injection, and lowered the fertility rate in 0.3mg injection during the first 3 days of injection. The present study suggests that exposure to Cd, even by a single dosage, can hamper quail reproduction for a very short time, mainly by decreasing egg production and thinning the eggshell.