%0 Journal Article
%T Effect of Non-Genetic Factors on Absolute Growth Rate in Short Term Selection for Different Ages in Japanese Quail
%A A. Ashok
%A R. Prabakaran
%J Research Journal of Poultry Sciences
%D 2012
%I 
%R 10.3923/rjpscience.2012.36.38
%X Meat type Japanese quail were subjected to three different methods of individual phenotypic selection viz., high 2 weeks body weight (SWL), 4 weeks body weight (FWL) and high 4 weeks body weight coupled with low relative body weight gain between 4-6 weeks of age (LWL) and a Control (COL) without adopting any selection for three generations. The effects of lines, generations, sexes and hatches were significant (p<0.01) on Absolute Growth rate (AGW) of birds at all the ages studied barring the influence of sex on body weight at hatch. The least square means of AGW during 1st-6th weeks of age were 26.38¡À0.37, 43.66¡À0.64, 37.42¡À0.69, 27.70¡À0.70, 23.76¡À0.61 and18.02¡À0.56 g, respectively in base (S0) generation and the corresponding means in first S1 generation were 22.99¡À0.37, 32.93¡À0.65, 26.96¡À0.70, 27.82¡À0.71, 21.27¡À0.61 and 17.83¡À0.57 g. In second (S2) generation the AGW were 28.44¡À0.36, 36.59¡À0.62, 49.08¡À0.66, 36.24¡À0.67, 17.91¡À0.58 and 18.57¡À0.54 g and the corresponding means in (S3) generation were 27.42¡À033 37.97¡À0.57, 41.06¡À0.60, 34.16¡À0.61, 25.10¡À0.53 and 23.63¡À0.49g, respectively. The least squares means of AGW during 1st-6th weeks of age were 26.00¡À0.33, 37.15¡À0.57, 38.46¡À0.62, 29.71¡À0.62, 17.46¡À0.54 and 13.11¡À0.50 g in males and 26.61¡À0.0.32, 38.43¡À0.56, 41.06¡À0.60, 34.16¡À0.61, 25.10¡À0.53 and 23.63¡À0.49 g in females, respectively. The AGW of females was found to be significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of males at all the ages studied.
%U http://www.medwellonline.net/abstract/?doi=rjpscience.2012.36.38