Influence of 12 hours of sound stimuli on gonad development and plasma luteinizing hormone in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) exposed to 6 hours of daily light.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of sound stimulation on gonadal growth in male and female Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) maintained under a photoperiod of 6 hr light and 18 hr dark (6L:18D) from 1 to 12 weeks of age (Experiment 1) or 1 to 14 weeks of age (Experiment 2). The quail were split into three sound environments as follows: 1) 12 hr of radio music (RS) beginning 1 hr before lights off; 2) 12 hr of vocalization from a breeding colony of quail (QV) beginning 1 hr before lights off; 3) no sound stimulation (NS). In Experiment 1, birds were killed at 8, 10, and 12 weeks of age and in Experiment 2, they were killed at 8, 10, 12, and 14 weeks of age. There were no significant differences in tests weights of the three groups at 8 and 10 wk of age (Experiment 1), but those of the RS and QV groups were larger (P less than or equal to .05) than those of the NS group at 12 weeks. Tests in the NS group appeared to grow between 8 and 10 weeks, then regress. There were no differences in testis weights at 8 and 10 weeks of age in Experiment 2. At 12 weeks, testes in the RS group were larger (P less than or equal to .05) than those of the other two groups and by 14 weeks testes of both sound stimulated groups were larger than the NS group and were also different from each other.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)