The female inseminated status and their box-mate gender influences egg laying strategy in Japanese quail.

PELLEGRINI S.; ASIS-RODRIGUEZ, M. A.; LABAQUE, M. C.; MARIN R. H.; GUZMAN, D. A.

Congreso; 2018 PSA Latin American Poultry Scientific Conference; 2018

In birds, nesting site selection is usually governed by the need of asuitable support and adequate protection to the eggs. The number of eggs laidis often considered to be an indicator that the nest site is perceived asattractive by hens. Many precocial species can search for more than oneplace to lay their eggs (i.e, nesting parasites, where egg spreading canmarkedly reduce time at risk in the nest for the parasite offspring). This studyevaluated whether female Japanese quail distinct potential to lay fertile eggs,for being previously exposed to short visits of either males or females, modulatethe use of space and the selection of a nest site when housed with either amale or a female unknown box-mate. A 2 x 2 factorial experimental design wasused giving 4 treatment combinations: Visited by males-Housed with a male (9), Visitedby males-Housed with a female (9), Visited by females-Housed with a male (9), Visitedby females-Housed with a female (9). A complete sequence of mating behavior(including natural insemination) was observed in all cases females were visitedby a male. Testing boxes were divided in two sectors. While the unknown box-matebirds were restricted to only one sector (Box-mate sector) by fitting them witha physical barrier device, the experimental females were able to freelyambulated between the empty and box-mate sector. The test started with theexperimental female placed in the empty sector and lasted 7 days. Total numberof eggs laid, sector selected for laying and total time spent in each sector wereevaluated using GLM mixed model analyses. All groups of experimental females laid between 5 and 6 eggs (P=0.99).While females that were visited by males and then housed with a female-mate laidsimilarly in the empty and the female-mate sector, females visited by females that were either housedwith a male- or a female-mate, and females visited by males and housed with amale-mate, laid more than 75% of their eggs in the box-mate sector (P<0.0001).Allexperimental females spent more time in the box-mate sector than in the empty one(P=0.01). Results suggest that females Japanese quails modify their layingstrategy according to their inseminated status (potential to lay fertile eggs)and the gender of their box-mate. The observed strategies are discussed consideringa defense search mechanism when paired with a male box-mate, and nestingparasite occurrence or indirect intraspecific female competition when females (respectivelyinseminated or not) are paired with a female box-mate conspecific.