Effect of selection for body weight on growth performance and rate of oxygen consumption of Japanese quails
1990
Wan Khadijah, W.E. (Malaya Univ., Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Dept. of Genetics and Cellular Biology) | Abdullah, R.B. | Kong, B.K.
The response to selection for 5-week body weight of Japanese quail (Cotumix cotumix japonica) was studied for two generations. The 280 day-old random-bred birds bought from a local commercial hatchery were used as the base (parental) population. Body weight and oxygen consumption measurements were done weekly on the parental population (P) and the first generation of selection (G 1) until the age of six weeks. Based on the individual 5-week body weight of the base population, two lines were developed namely, the High line (H line) and the Low line (L line) populations. Within the H line population, 24 heaviest males and 24 heaviest females were selected as parents to produce the subsequent generation. As for the L line, 24 lightest males and 24 lightest females were selected. The non-selected population made up the Control (C line). Growth performance data indicated that the M line had the highest growth rate followed by the C line and the L line for both the selected P and G 1 generations. In both generations, highly significant differences (P 0.01) between the lines in the mean weekly body weight were observed. Females were significantly (P 0.01) heavier than males in body weight from 3 to 6 weeks of age. Heritability estimates for 5-week body weight for the H and L lines of the G 1 generation were 0.86 and 0.63, respectively. In G 1 generation, the H line consumed significantly (P 0.01) greatest volume of oxygen (ml/bird/hr. and ml/g/hr), followed by the C line and the L line. Thus, bidirectional selection for 5-week body weight in Japanese quail had resulted in the G 1 generation having significantly different growth performance and rate of oxygen consumption.
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