title: Body size, reproductive behavior, and fertility in three genetic lines of Japanese quail.
abstract: The influences of body size on early locomotor activity, intermale aggression, mating behavior, fertility, and hatchability were studied in three lines of Japanese quail. Lines P and C originated from the same base population with P selected for high 28-day body weight and C maintained as a randombred population. Line S was a randombred line unrelated to P and C. Line P quail were larger than both C and S quail, which were similar in size and had proportionally larger cloacal glands than those from the P line. The P and S males were more aggressive than C males. Although there was no difference among the three lines for number of attempted matings, C and S males completed more matings and had better mating efficiency and fertility than P males. The P females received more attempted matings than C and S females, but S females completed more matings, resulting in higher mating efficiency. Fertility tended to be lower in P females, while hatchability of fertile eggs was similar across all lines. The effect of body size on reproductive performance is discussed in the context of genetic homeostasis.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003370:Coturnix / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011784:Quail / Q000235:genetics*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal