Does genetic selection for contrasting adrenocortical responsiveness influence underlying sociality in Japanese quail?

MARIN R. H.; JONES, R. B.; SATTERLEE D. G.; CADD, G. G.

Indianapolis, Estados Unidos.

Congreso; International Animal Agriculture and Food Science; 2001

Poultry Science Association

Inappropriate levels of sociality (motivation to be near conspecifics) may engender fear and distress, high levels of which can seriously damage poultry productivity and well-being. Thus, low sociality birds may be ill-suited to housing in very large groups. Genetic selection of Japanese quail for a dampened (LS, low stress) rather than exaggerated (HS, high stress) adrenocortical response to brief restraint is associated with decreased fearfulness and a non-specific reduction in stress responsiveness. Because sociality and fear may be linked in certain circumstances, the present study compared underlying sociality in chicks of the LS and HS lines in two test situations. In Experiment 1, social proximity was evaluated by filming undisturbed same-line groups of LS and HS chicks in their home cages; during subsequent analysis of the videotapes we then measured clumping and the distance between the two furthest birds at regular intervals. In Experiment 2, the responses of individually-tested chicks were measured in a runway when the goal box at the opposite end contained two other chicks (1 LS, 1 HS). Social proximity was greater (P < 0.03) in LS than HS quail and the LS birds tended to segregate more (P < 0.10). Similarly, once the quail had reached the runway zone nearest the goal box, LS birds spent a greater proportion of the remaining time in close proximity to the stimulus birds (P = 0.04) than did HS ones. Social proximity in the home cage and affiliation responses in a runway are widely considered to be positively related to underlying sociality. Therefore, the present findings clearly suggest that underlying sociality is greater in quail selected for low rather than high adrenocortical stress responsiveness.