Longevity and Reproduction in Japanese Quail Maintained Under Stimulatory Lighting

Abstract

THE effect of senescence have been studied in chickens (Hall and Marble, 1931; Zander et al., 1942) and turkeys (Marsden and Martin, 1955), but little is known about other gallinaceous species. Daniels (1968) observed that nine Japanese quail females kept under continuous light terminated lay at the end of the second year. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of aging on egg laying, fertility, hatchability and mortality of Japanese quail maintained under normal laboratory conditions. METHODS AND MATERIALS Three groups of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), hereafter referred to as coturnix, were hatched in different seasons within 18 months (Table 1). The birds belonged to the Davis Random Line (908). For simplicity the three generations are designated as groups 1, 2, and 3. They were hatched in September, 1964; May, 1965; and February, 1966, respectively. The birds were brooded in commercial 5-deck game bird batteries to…