Body and testicular development in males of meat- and egg-type quails of 25 to 360 days

Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira

Santos, Tatiana C.¹  Oliveira, Carlos A.L.¹  Murakami, Alice E.¹  Costa, Paula D.¹ 

[1]Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Brasil

DOI  :  10.1590/S0100-736X2012001100023

来源: Colegio Brasileiro de Patologia Animal-CBPA

【 摘 要 】

Meat- and egg-type quails were analyzed to determinereproductive development, puberty and the onset of senility. For this purpose,288 quails (144 meat- and 144 egg-type quails) were followed from hatch to 360days old. The birds were distributed by age in 18 groups, 8 quails/group/typeof quail. After 35 days quails were maintained under long daylength conditions(17L: 7D). The live weight and the macro and microscopical testicular characteristicswere determined in each period. The data were analyzed to determine the growthcurve and the behavior of parameters. The model that best fits the data wasthe non-linear Gompertz model (Y = A exp [-B and (-kt)]). Live weightand testicular morphometric parameters had an allometric behavior among themselves,and at approximately 60 days the males had sexually development, and body weightstabilized at about 100 days. The right testicle was more cranial than the left,differing in the length and width, but no difference in testicular weight (P>0.05)was observed. The meat quails had a larger body weight and testicular weightthan the egg quails, but the egg-quail had a higher percentage of testes inrelation to body weight. During the whole adult period the males could be consideredsexually fit. Breeders had active sex characteristics until 360 days of age,represented by testicular size and by cellular activity in the seminiferoustubules.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC