Regulation of dustbathing in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix).

In Exp I, removal of the uropygial gland from Japanese quail chicks at 1 day of age had no effect on the development of dustbathing compared with that of normal chicks. In Exp II, restricting the early experiences that glandless chicks had with dust did not retard dustbathing development. Applying large amounts of uropygial lipid to the feathers of adult quail also had no effect on the frequencies of dustbathing. However, spraying water on the feathers, which elicits oiling behavior, did lead to an increase in dustbathing (Exp III). Results suggest that dustbathing is regulated by monitoring the rate of oiling behavior rather than sensing the amount of feather lipid. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)