Effects of mating system in Japanese quail : 1. Inbreeding and fitness.

A selection experiment, conducted for 17 generations, compared a selected population mated in a cyclic manner with alternating generations of inbreeding and outbreeding, a selected population mated at random and a randomly mated, randomly selected control population. Trends in the number of birds available for selection and number selected are presented for each population. Actual and theoretical levels of inbreeding for each population were similar. Samples of all populations were subjected to continuous full-sib inbreeding at generation 12. All populations were sensitive to inbreeding depression. However, the cyclic mated population had greater reproductive fitness after continued intensive breeding.