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POSSIBLE IMMUNOLOGICAL BASIS FOR A REDUCTION OF FERTILITY IN CROSS-MATING FOWL WITH JAPANESE QUAIL

Summary.: Female quail from populations selected for high interspecific fertility when bred with fowl were inseminated half-weekly with fowl semen for periods up to 18 consecutive weeks. At the end of that time, all birds showed a decline in interspecific fertility and the blood plasma of approximately half of the female quail contained antibodies against fowl spermatozoa. The interspecific fertility of these birds was considerably less than that of the birds which did not have antibodies.

In a second experiment, female quail with high interspecific fertility were given an intravenous injection of fowl semen. Their interspecific fertility was approximately 10% lower than a control group of female quail.