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

ASIS RODRIGUEZ, M. A.; GUZMÁN, D. A.; LÁBAQUE, M. C; PELLEGRINI, S.; MARIN, R.H.

Campiñas

Conferencia; Latin American Scientific Conference; 2018

Poultry Science

In birds, nesting site selection is usually governed by the need of a suitable support and adequate protection to the eggs. The number of eggs laid is often considered to be an indicator that the nest site is perceived as attractive by hens. Many precocial species can search for more than one place to lay their eggs (i.e, nesting parasites, where egg spreading can markedly reduce time at risk in the nest for the parasite offspring). This study evaluated whether female Japanese quail distinct potential to lay fertile eggs, for being previously exposed to short visits of either males or females, modulate the use of space and the selection of a nest site when housed with either a male or a female unknown box-mate. A 2 x 2 factorial experimental design was used giving 4 treatment combinations: Visited by males-Housed with a male (9), Visited by males-Housed with a female (9), Visited by females-Housed with a male (9), Visited by females-Housed with a female (9). A complete sequence of mating behavior (including natural insemination) was observed in all cases females were visited by a male. Testing boxes were divided in two sectors. While the unknown box-mate birds were restricted to only one sector (Box-mate sector) by fitting them with a physical barrier device, the experimental females were able to freely ambulated between the empty and box-mate sector. The test started with the experimental female placed in the empty sector and lasted 7 days. Total number of eggs laid, sector selected for laying and total time spent in each sector were evaluated 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 laid similarly in the empty and the female-mate sector, females visited by females that were either housed with a male- or a female-mate, and females visited by males and housed with a male-mate, laid more than 75% of their eggs in the box-mate sector (P