Attila Salamon
1School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
John P. Kent
Ballyrichard House, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
ABSTRACT
Egg weight increased with age (one to four years) in domestic geese and was followed by a senescent decline. However a more striking finding in adult geese was a within season decline in egg weight over the first eight weeks of lay, until baseline weight levels were achieved and were then maintained until the end of the laying season. The egg weight decline (wks 1-8) was significantly different from the baseline egg weight (wks 9-19) in adult flocks. The within season decline in egg weight is attributed to constraints on the ability of birds to acquire the necessary nutrients exogenously during the laying season, requiring the geese to utilise their limited endogenous reserves. The seasonal decline in egg weight is consistent with that in other waterfowl. However, a baseline egg weight level was found here that may be difficult to identify in wild geese, as in nature clutch completion is followed by incubation. The baseline level reflect the minimum egg weight necessary for viable gosling production. In one year old geese egg weight was lower from the genesis of egg laying through the first eight weeks and weight then steadily increased between weeks 9-19 tending towards the adult baseline levels. This is consistent with the maturation of one year old birds and shows that young geese are working towards the production of eggs with a viable egg weight.
PDF References Citation
How to cite this article
Attila Salamon and John P. Kent, 2013. Egg Weight Declines to Baseline Levels over the Laying Season in Domestic Geese (Anser anser domesticus). International Journal of Poultry Science, 12: 509-516.
DOI: 10.3923/ijps.2013.509.516
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijps.2013.509.516
DOI: 10.3923/ijps.2013.509.516
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijps.2013.509.516
REFERENCES
- Ankney, C.D., 1980. Egg weight, survival and growth of lesser snow goose goslings. J. Wildlife Manage., 44: 174-182.
Direct Link - Ardia, D.R., M.F. Wasson and D.W. Winkler, 2006. Individual quality and food availability determine yolk and egg mass and egg composition in tree swallows Tachycineta bicolor. J. Avian Biol., 37: 252-259.
CrossRefDirect Link - Alvarez, R. and P.M. Hocking, 2012. Changes in ovarian function and egg production in commercial broiler breeders through 40 weeks of lay. Br. Poult. Sci., 53: 386-393.
CrossRefPubMedDirect Link - Black, J.M. and M. Owen, 1989. Parent-offspring relationships in wintering barnacle geese. Anim. Behav., 37: 187-198.
CrossRefDirect Link - Bolton, M., P. Monaghan and D.C. Houston, 1993. Proximate determination of clutch size in lesser black-backed gulls: the roles of food supply and body condition. Can. J. Zool., 71: 273-279.
CrossRefDirect Link - Bromley, R.G. and R.L. Jarvis, 1993. The energetics of migration and reproduction of Dusky Canada geese. Condor, 95: 193-210.
Direct Link - Budeau, D.A., J.T. Ratti and C.R. Ely, 1991. Energy dynamics, foraging ecology and behavior of prenesting greater white-fronted geese. J. Wildlife Manage., 55: 556-563.
Direct Link - Choiniere, L. and G. Gauthier, 1995. Energetics of reproduction in female and male Greater Snow Geese. Oecologia, 103: 379-389.
CrossRefDirect Link - Christians, J.K., 2002. Avian egg size: variation within species and inflexibility within individuals. Biol. Rev., 77: 1-26.
CrossRefDirect Link - Clapp, R.B., M.K. Klimkiewicz and J.H. Kennard, 1982. Longevity records of North American birds: Gaviidae through Alcidae. J. Field Ornithol., 53: 81-124.
Direct Link - Conover, M.R., 2012. Delayed nesting by female Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis): Benefits and costs. Auk, 129: 140-146.
CrossRefDirect Link - Dodu, M., 2010. Aspects of egg production and laying intensity for the geese population, (White Rhine Dutch geese), from Bihor county. Analele Universitatii Oradea Fascicula: Ecotoxicologie, Zootehnie Tehnologii Industrie Alimentara, 9: 357-360.
Direct Link - Eising, C.M., C. Eikenaar, H. Schwabl and T.G.G. Groothuis, 2001. Maternal androgens in black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) eggs: Consequences for chick development. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B, 268: 839-846.
CrossRef - Flint, P.L., J.B. Grand and J.S. Sedinger, 1996. Allocation of limited reserves to a clutch: A model explaining the lack of a relationship between clutch size and egg size. Auk, 113: 939-942.
Direct Link - Forslund, P. and K. Larsson, 1992. Age-related reproductive success in the Barnacle Goose. J. Anim. Ecol., 61: 195-204.
Direct Link - Forslund, P. and T. Part, 1995. Age and reproduction in birds-hypotheses and tests. Trends Ecol. Evol., 10: 374-378.
CrossRefDirect Link - Fowler, G.S., 1995. Stages of age-related reproductive success in birds: simultaneous effects of age, pair-bond duration and reproductive experience. Am. Zool., 35: 318-328.
CrossRefDirect Link - Fox, A.D., H. Boyd and R.G. Bromley, 1995. Mutual benefits of associations between breeding and non-breeding White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons. Ibis, 137: 151-156.
CrossRefDirect Link - Ganter, B. and F. Cooke, 1996. Pre-incubation feeding activities and energy budgets of snow geese: Can food on the breeding grounds influence fecundity? Oecologia, 106: 153-165.
CrossRefDirect Link - Gauthier, G., J. Bety and K.A. Hobson, 2003. Are greater snow geese capital breeders? New evidence from a stable-isotope model. Ecology, 84: 3250-3264.
Direct Link - Gladbach, A., D.J. Gladbach and P. Quillfeldt, 2010. Seasonal clutch size decline and individual variation in the timing of breeding are related to female body condition in a non-migratory species, the Upland Goose Chloephaga picta leucoptera. J. Ornithol., 151: 817-825.
CrossRefDirect Link - Groothuis, T.G.G. and H. Schwabl, 2002. Determinants of within- and among-clutch variation in levels of maternal hormones in Black-headed Gull eggs. Funct. Ecol., 16: 281-289.
Direct Link - Hamann, J. and F. Cooke, 1987. Age effects on clutch size and laying dates of individual female Lesser Snow Geese Anser caerulescens. Ibis, 129: 527-532.
CrossRefDirect Link - Hepp, G.R., D.J. Stangohr, L.A. Baker and R.A. Kennamer, 1987. Factors affecting variation in the egg and duckling components of wood ducks. Auk, 104: 435-443.
Direct Link - Hipfner, J.M. and A.J. Gaston, 1999. The relationship between egg size and posthatching development in the Thick-billed Murre. Ecology, 80: 1289-1297.
CrossRefDirect Link - Kent, J.P. and K.J. Murphy, 2003. Synchronized egg laying in flocks of domestic geese (Anser anser). Applied Anim. Behav. Sci., 82: 219-228.
CrossRefDirect Link - Kent, J.P., K.J. Murphy, A. Salamon, T.J. Hayden and E. Mostl, 2013. Hormone levels in the outer layer of domestic goose (Anser anser domesticus) eggs change over the laying season. Avian Biol. Res., 6: 221-226.
CrossRefDirect Link - Krist, M., 2011. Egg size and offspring quality: A meta-analysis in birds. Biol. Rev., 86: 692-716.
CrossRefPubMedDirect Link - Lepage, D., G. Gauthier and S. Menu, 2000. Reproductive consequences of egg-laying decisions in Snow Geese. J. Anim. Ecol., 69: 414-427.
CrossRefDirect Link - Mazanowski, A., T. Kisiel and M. Adamski, 2005. Evaluation of some regional varieties of geese for reproductive traits, egg structure and egg chemical composition. Ann. Anim. Sci., 5: 67-83.
Direct Link - Merritt, E.S., R.S. Gowe and J.R. Pelletier, 1960. The reproductive performance of geese in their first and second year. Poult. Sci., 39: 1008-1009.
CrossRefDirect Link - Mroz, E. and G. Lepek, 2003. A biological evaluation of hatches in different phases of goose egg production. Pol. J. Nat. Sci., 13: 115-123.
Direct Link - Muller, W., C.M. Eising, C. Dijkstra and T.G.G. Groothuis, 2004. Within-clutch patterns of yolk testosterone vary with the onset of incubation in black-headed gulls. Behav. Ecol., 15: 893-897.
CrossRefDirect Link - Nager, R.G., P. Monaghan, R. Griffiths, D.C. Houston and R. Dawson, 1999. Experimental demonstration that offspring sex ratio varies with maternal condition. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 96: 570-573.
Direct Link - Robertson, G.J., E.G. Cooch, D.B. Lank, R.F. Rockwell and F. Cooke, 1994. Female age and egg size in the Lesser Snow Goose. J. Avian Biol., 25: 149-155.
Direct Link - Rockwell, R.F., C.S. Findlay and F. Cooke, 1983. Life history studies of the Lesser Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) I. The influence of age and time on fecundity. Oecologia, 56: 318-322.
CrossRefDirect Link - Rockwell, R.F., E.G. Cooch, C.B. Thompson and F. Cooke, 1993. Age and reproductive success in female Lesser Snow Geese: Experience, senescence and the cost of philopatry. J. Anim. Ecol., 62: 323-333.
Direct Link - Romanov, M.N., 1999. Goose production efficiency as influenced by genotype, nutrition and production systems. World's Poult. Sci. J., 55: 281-294.
CrossRefDirect Link - Ryder, J.P., 1970. A possible factor in the evolution of clutch size in Ross� goose. Wilson Bull., 82: 4-13.
Direct Link - Shanawany, M.M., 1987. Hatching weight in relation to egg weight in domestic birds. World's Poult. Sci. J., 43: 107-115.
CrossRefDirect Link - Shi, Z.D., Y.B. Tian, W. Wu, Z.Y. Wang, 2008. Controlling reproductive seasonality in the geese: A review. World Poult. Sci. J., 64: 343-355.
CrossRef - Spaans, B., M. Stock, A.S. Joseph, H.H. Bergmann and B.S. Ebbinge, 1993. Breeding biology of dark-bellied brent geese Branta b. bernicla in Taimyr in 1990 in the absence of arctic foxes and under favourable weather conditions. Pol. Res., 12: 117-130.
CrossRefDirect Link - Wasser, D.E. and P.W. Sherman, 2010. Avian longevities and their interpretation under evolutionary theories of senescence. J. Zool., 280: 103-155.
CrossRefDirect Link - Williams, T.D., 1994. Intraspecific variation in egg size and egg composition in birds: Effects on offspring fitness. Biol. Rev., 69: 35-59.
CrossRefPubMedDirect Link - Winkler, D.W. and P.E. Allen, 1996. The seasonal decline in tree swallow clutch size: Physiological constraint or strategic adjustment? Ecology, 77: 922-932.
CrossRefDirect Link - Woog, F., 2002. Reproductive success and pairing in Hawaiian Geese (Branta sandvicensis) in relation to age and body size. J. Ornithol., 143: 43-50.
Direct Link