Compensatory Growth in Japanese Quail Following Protein Restriction

Abstract

Studies were conducted to investigate growth patterns of two selected quail lines and a control line after long-term selection for high 4-week body weight. Treatment 1 (control diet) consisted of a 28% protein diet from 0 to 6 weeks of age; treatment 2 consisted of a 28% protein diet from 0 to 2 weeks followed by a 20% protein diet from 2 to 6 weeks of age; treatment 3 consisted of a 20% protein diet from 0 to 2 weeks followed by a 28% protein diet from 2 to 6 weeks of age; and treatment 4 consisted of a 20% protein diet from 0 to 6 weeks of age.Six-week body weights of selected lines fed treatment 3 were equal to or superior (100 to 104%) to body weights of birds fed treatment 1. These data suggest that compensatory growth occurs in quail following undernutrition from 0 to 2 weeks of age on a low (20%) protein diet and that fast growing lines selected for high 4-week body weight are capable of demonstrating greater compensatory growth than nonseleeted control quail.