GENETIC ASPECTS OF IMMUNE RESPONSE AND SOME OTHER PRODUCTION TRAITS IN JAPANESE QUAILS.

Genetic variations in immune response to sheep red blood cell (SRBC), gamma-globulin level - and some productive traits as well as the phenotypic correlations between these traits were studied in two strains of Japanese Quails. The strain of Quails was found to have a significant effect on antibody titer at 14-dsys of vaccination. The white strain have the higher response (2.32). Gamma-globulin level was also higher (1.06) in white strain, although the differences was not significant. The antybody titer at 7-days after vaccination was significantly affected by sex in favour of female (3.56) than male (2.98). Moreover, the brown female Quails had the highest immune response titer (3.93) at 7 day, while the brown male Quails had the lowest titer (2.75). A significant positive phenotypic correlation was found between body weight at 14-days after vaccination and 7-days antibody titer. Moreover highly significant positive phenotypic correlation was found between antibody titer at 7-days and 14-days post vaccination with SRBC (0.46). On the hand, negative but non significant phenotypic correlations were observed between egg number with each of egg weight and immune response titer at 7 and 14-days post vaccination (-0.21, -0.14, -0.24 respectively).