divergent selection for four-week body weight in japanese quail (coturnix coturnix japonica): response to selection and realized heritability

the japanese quail has been utilized as a research species in establishing the genetic relationships that may also be present in other species. divergent phenotypic selection for 4-wk bw was conducted for three generations in high (hw) and low (lw) lines. within each line, 50 females and 25 males were selected among 600 birds, based on 4-wk bw. mean bw at 4 wk of age in the base generation was 186.2 and 178.6 g for females and males, respectively. in the 3rd generation, the mean of 4-wk bw for male and female birds was 214.5 and 208.1 in hw line and 173.5 and 167.8 in lw lines, respectively. the realized heritability was estimated as 33.4% and 28.3% for females and males in hw lines and 20.3% and 20.2% for females and males in lw lines. the results suggested the effectiveness of phenotypic selection for body weight in japanese quails, although the hatchability decreased in the heavier birds.