Divergent selection for shape of the growth curve in Japanese quail. 8. Effect of long-term selection on embryonic development and growth.

1. Changes in embryonic development and growth were analysed in relation to direct changes in postnatal growth and correlated responses in egg parameters using Japanese quail lines selected for more than 30 generations for high (HG) and low (LG) relative gain of body weight (BW) between 11 and 28 d of age, and constant BW at 49 d of age. 2. During the first 42 h as well as at the end of incubation, LG embryos were developmentally accelerated in comparison with their HG counterparts. An expected increase of line divergence across generations was observed only in traits analysed at the end of incubation. 3. In contrast to early generations, LG embryos continuously exhibited a higher BW than HG embryos and this difference temporarily disappeared only around incubation d 8. Analogous to early generations, the HG compared with LG embryos showed two periods of transient growth retardation compensated subsequently by a higher growth rate (incubation d 3-8 and 8-16). 4. More pronounced growth retardation of HG versus LG embryos in late versus early generations corresponded to more distinct decrease of HG versus LG growth rate during the first post-hatch days. Likewise, a disappearance of line BW differences on incubation d 8 characterising the late generations corresponded to the elimination of line differences in adult BW. 5. Alterations of growth pattern were associated with changes of egg size. While HG quail maintained a relatively constant adult BW and egg size across generations, the gradually increasing incidence of large eggs in the LG line allowed selection of birds with higher growth potential, which in turn amplified the line differences in the embryonic BW and eliminated the line differences in adult BW. Line differences in egg composition (larger albumen with lower density in LG compared with HG eggs) apparently contributed to the strengthening of line developmental divergence during incubation. 6. Transient lack of nutrient supply to HG embryos due to their developmental delay is probably responsible for a higher HG versus LG embryo mortality.

Divergent selection for shape of growth curve in Japanese quail. 6. Hatching time, hatchability and embryo mortality.

1. Hatching time, hatchability of fertile eggs and embryo mortality under standard egg storage (1 or 5 days at 12 ± 1°C and 55% relative humidity) and incubation conditions (37.5 ± 0.2°C and 50% relative humidity) were analysed in lines long-term selected for high (HG) and low (LG) relative weight gain between 11 and 28 d of age, respectively, and constant body weight at 49 d of age. 2. Egg storage duration did not have an effect on average hatching time. LG quail, characterised by a fast postnatal growth rate immediately after hatching, hatched earlier than HG quail with a low early growth rate (about 391 vs. 406 h after egg setting, respectively). 3. In contrast to hatching time, the hatchability of fertile eggs was influenced by line as well as egg storage duration. Extended storage decreased hatching success in both lines. However, LG eggs exhibited a higher hatchability than HG eggs (1 d storage: 96.0 vs. 82.5%; 5 d storage: 88.7 vs. 72.7%, respectively). 4. Lower hatchability resulted mostly from a higher frequency of embryo death during early (up to d 7) and late (d 14 and later) phases of incubation. 5. An inadequate nutrient supply to embryos in consequence of developmental delay seems to be a key factor decreasing viability of embryos during incubation.