title: The relationship of incubational egg weight loss with parthenogenesis in Chinese Painted quail (Coturnix chinensis).
abstract: Parthenogenesis, embryonic development of an unfertilized egg, has been studied extensively in turkeys. Recently it has been revealed that parthenogenesis also occurs in Chinese Painted quail, and the percentage of eggs exhibiting parthenogenesis is negatively correlated with clutch sequence position. In broiler breeders, it has been reported that the first egg of a clutch sequence loses less egg weight during incubation than subsequent eggs. Because the incidence of parthenogenesis is greater and egg weight loss is less in the first egg of a clutch sequence, it is possible that egg weight loss is less in parthenogenetic eggs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between egg weight loss (a measure of eggshell quality) and parthenogenesis. Daily, individual eggs were collected and labeled. To determine egg weight loss, eggs were weighed before setting and then again after 10 d of incubation. Eggs were stored for 0 to 3 d at 20°C and incubated at 37.5°C. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine if relationships existed between egg weight loss and average incidence of parthenogenesis, parthenogen size, egg storage, and average clutch sequence position for all hens examined (157) as well as only for hens that exhibited parthenogenesis (102). The percentage of egg weight loss was negatively correlated with the incidence of parthenogenetic eggs and parthenogen size. However, the percentage of egg weight loss was positively correlated with average clutch position. In conclusion, it appears that eggshell quality possibly influences the incidence of parthenogenesis in Chinese Painted quail eggs because as the percentage of egg weight loss decreases, the incidence of parthenogenesis increases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State 39762, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kiess
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: McDaniel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003370:Coturnix / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology*; D010312:Parthenogenesis; D012098:Reproduction; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss