Rearing with males accelerates onset of sexual maturity in female domestic fowl

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of male presence on sexual maturation and sexual responses toward humans in laying strain females. In Experiment 1, two flocks of 50 medium-hybrid females were reared without males (separate-sex) and two flocks with males (mixed-sex) from 1 d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Poultry science 1998-01, Vol.77 (1), p.150-155
Main Authors: Widowski, T.M. (University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.), Wong, D.M.A.L.F, Duncan, I.J.H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AGE
Age Factors
Animals
BODY WEIGHT
CHICKENS
Chickens - physiology
COCKS
COMB
COMPORTAMIENTO SEXUAL
COMPORTEMENT SEXUEL
COQ
DESEMPENO EN LA POSTURA
EDAD
EGGS
ESTIMULO
Female
GALLINAS
GALLOS
HENS
Housing, Animal
HUEVOS
INTEGUMENT
LAYING PERFORMANCE
Male
MATING SYSTEMS
METHODE D'ACCOUPLEMENT
NATURAL MATING
OEUF
OVIPOSICION
OVIPOSITION
PERFORMANCE DE PONTE
PESO
PESO CORPORAL
POIDS
POIDS CORPOREL
POLLO
PONTE
POULET
POULETTE
PULLETS
Sexual Behavior, Animal
SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
Sexual Maturation - physiology
SISTEMAS DE APAREAMIENTO
Social Behavior
STIMULI
STIMULUS
TEGUMENTO
TEGUMENTS ET PHANERES
VISUAL STIMULI
WEIGHT
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Summary:Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of male presence on sexual maturation and sexual responses toward humans in laying strain females. In Experiment 1, two flocks of 50 medium-hybrid females were reared without males (separate-sex) and two flocks with males (mixed-sex) from 1 d of age. Mixed-sex females came into lay sooner and laid more eggs up to 22 wk of age than separate-sex females (P 0.05). Comb size was also greater in mixed-sex females at 15 and 20 wk of age (P 0.05). In Experiment 2, six replicate groups per treatment with n 0.10). During tests for sexual responsiveness to humans, over 80% of females in separate-sex and adjacent to mixed-sex groups assumed a sexual crouch, whereas less than 20% of females in mixed-sex groups crouched (P 0.001, chi-square). The degree of contact with males during rearing affected the females' physiological measures of reproductive function differently than behavioral measures
ISSN:0032-5791
1525-3171
DOI:10.1093/ps/77.1.150