Phenotypic Relationships Between Adiposity, Breast Weight, and Body Weight in Female Japanese Quail

Abstract

Data were obtained from 8-week-old females for body weight, breast weight, percentage carcass fat, weight of the sartorial and abdominal fat depots, and the number and size of adipocytes in the abdominal fat depot in parental lines and various crosses of Japanese quail. Correlations of breast weight with body weight, abdominal and sartorial fat depot weight, and percentage carcass fat were positive, significant, and of a similar magnitude. The relationship of body weight with percentage carcass fat was positive and significant, while those between body weight and sartorial and abdominal depot weight and size and number of adipocytes were low. Percentage carcass fat was highly correlated in a positive manner with the weight of the sartorial and abdominal fat depots. Also, there were highly significant positive correlations between depot weights and the number and size of abdominal adipocytes.