Changes in body and organ weights of Japanese quail selected for 6‐week body weight1

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Abstract
Three populations of Japanese quail, selected over 13 generations for increased body weight, a randomly selected base population and reciprocal backcrosses of selected lines to the control were studied. Live body weight and weights of liver, testes, oviducts and carcasses were obtained to assess the effects of selection. At 6 weeks of age a 20 g. difference in live body weight existed between selected line and base population. Sexual dimorphism in live body weight in favour of females appeared at 3 weeks of age and increased with age. A 5 g. difference in 6‐week body weight between female backcross progeny from sires from selected lines and those sired by males from the base population suggested an influence of sex‐linked genes. At 8 weeks of age the weight of females of both reciprocal back‐cross types significantly exceeded the average of females from the selected lines suggesting that female reproductive organ weight had increased under selection as well as heterosis. Carcass weight of selected females was lower than for corresponding males, a reversal of the sexual dimorphism displayed by the controls. Reciprocal differences in liver weight between backcross females, but not males, suggested an effect of sex‐linked genes. Testis as well as oviduct weights of quail from selected lines were substantially greater than from controls.

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