Calcium requirement for japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) in the laying phase - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v29i1.247

• Autor(a) principal: Brandão, Patrícia Araújo
• Data de Publicação: 2007
• Outros Autores: Costa, Fernando Guilherme Perazzo, Silva, José Humberto Vilar da, Brandão, Jocelyn Santiago, Nobre, Janete Gouveia Souza, Goulart, Cláudia de Castro
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Acta Scientiarum. Animal Sciences (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/ActaSciAnimSci/article/view/247
• topic: calcário calcítico; desempenho; deposição de cálcio; qualidade dos ovos; 5 5.04.00.00-2 Zootecnia

This trial was performed to determine the requirements of calcium for Japanese quails during the laying period. A hundred and five quails were distributed in seven treatments and three repetitions. The treatments consisted of a basal diet supplemented with limestone in order to produce seven calcium levels (2.95; 3.10; 3.25; 3.40; 3.55; 3.70 and 3.85%). The following variables were evaluated: feed intake (CR), egg production (PD), egg mass (MO), conversion per egg mass (CMO), conversion per egg dozen (CDO), egg weight (PO), the weights and percentages of yolk, albumen and shell, and specific gravity. Calcium levels in the diet had no effect on CR and CMO. On the other hand, there was quadratic effect on PD, MO and CDO, and the maximum levels for these variables were estimated with calcium levels of 3.45; 3.51 and 3.34%, respectively. PO increased linearly with calcium levels in the diet. A quadratic effect of calcium levels was seen on the specific gravity and on weight and percentage of albumen and yolk. Calcium levels of 3.51% are recommended for Japanese quails during the laying period in order to optimize performance indexes without affecting negatively the internal and external egg quality.