The reported age of sexual maturity in Japanese quail varies from one source to another. Can these birds really reach it at just six weeks?
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One study of male quail testes observed complete sperm production at that age. Researchers also found sperm inside the small tubes of the testes. The study used complete sperm production as its criterion for sexual maturity.
That result, however, is not a rule for every Japanese quail. A review places female sexual maturity at around six to seven weeks. Other sources give eight weeks for the species, while some authors place male maturity from the ninth week onward.
These estimates do not necessarily use the same definition of maturity. Age can also vary with sex, strain, the duration of light exposure and diet.
