ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to estimate the nutritional requirement of digestible methionine + cystine for Japanese quail during the growth phase and its residual effect on the laying phase. One experiment was conducted, including three phases: starter, from 1 to 14 days of age; grower, from 15 to 42 days of age; and laying, from 43 to 168 days of age. The experimental design was entirely randomized with five treatments (0.52, 0.64, 0.76, 0.88, and 1.00% of digestible methionine + cystine) and five replicates. In starter phase, 48 quail/experimental unit (box) were used; in grower phase, 31 quail/experimental unit (box) were used, which were reared until 14 days old, receiving conventional feed and, in laying phase, 12 quail/experimental unit were selected from grower phase to evaluate the residual effect. To evaluate animal performance, feed intake (g/bird), body weight (g), weight gain (g), feed conversion (g/g), and viability (%) were analyzed. At 14 and 42 days of age, the relative weight (%) of liver, spleen, and cloacal pouch organs, the birds’ warping (%) and body chemical composition (%) were evaluated. During laying, performance and egg quality were evaluated. In the starter and grower stages, quadratic effects were observed for all performance variables. Laying performance results confirmed the estimates obtained in the grower phase; however, there was no effect on egg quality. Considering the best feed conversion, the nutritional recommendation of digestible methionine + cystine for Japanese quail in the starter phase is 0.85% and in the grower phase, it is 0.77%, corresponding to daily intake of 50.43 and 158.5 mg of digestible methionine + cystine/day, respectively.

Abstract An experiment was carried out with Japanese quails in the initial laying phase, from 43 to 168 days of age, to determine the nutritional requirement of digestible methionine + cystine for this period. 375 quails were used, being fifteen quails used per experimental unit. A total of 5 treatments (0.60, 0.75, 0.90, 1.05 and 1.20% digestible methionine + cystine) were used in a completely randomized design with 5 replicates each. The performance parameters evaluated were feed intake (g / bird), body weight (g), egg weight (g), laying rate (%), egg mass (g eggs.bird.day-1), feed conversion by mass and dozen eggs (g.g-1 of eggs, g.dz-1 of eggs), viability (%) and the body chemical composition (%). The egg quality parameters were: % of component (yolk, albumen and shell relative to egg weight), specific gravity (g mL-1), Haugh unit, yolk index, shell weight per surface area and thickness of the shell (mm). Quadratic effect was found on the performance parameters evaluated (P<0.05), except for age at first egg and viability with linear effect. Regarding egg quality, no significant effect was observed on the variables tested (P>0.05). The nutritional recommendation of digestible methionine + cystine for Japanese quails at laying phase is 0.90% from the maximum point obtained for the egg mass, egg weight and laying rate, corresponding to daily intake of 241.54 mg of digestible methionine + cystine / day, respectively.

Resumo Foi desenvolvido um experimento com codornas japonesas na fase inicial de postura, de 43 a 168 dias de idade, com o objetivo de determinar a exigência nutricional de metionina + cistina digestível para este período. Foram utilizadas 375 codornas, sendo 15 aves por unidade experimental. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado (DIC) totalizando 5 tratamentos (0,60; 0,75; 0,90; 1,05 e 1,20 % de metionina + cistina digestível) com 5 repetições cada. As variáveis de desempenho avaliadas foram, consumo de ração (g/ave), peso corporal (g), peso do ovo (g), taxa de postura (%), produção de massa de ovos (g ovos.ave. dia-1), conversão alimentar por massa e dúzia de ovos (g.g-1 de ovos, g.dz-1 de ovos), viabilidade (%) e a composição química corporal (%). As variáveis de qualidade dos ovos foram, percentagem do componente (gema, albúmen e casca em relação ao peso do ovo), gravidade específica (g mL.-1), unidade Haugh, índice de gema e peso da casca por superfície de área. Foi encontrado efeito quadrático sobre as variáveis de desempenho avaliadas (P<0,05), exceto para idade ao primeiro ovo e viabilidade que apresentaram efeito linear. Em relação à qualidade dos ovos, não foi observado efeito significativo sobre as variáveis testadas (P>0,05). A recomendação nutricional de metionina + cistina digestível para codornas japonesas na fase de postura é de 0,90% a partir do ponto de máxima obtido para as variáveis massa de ovos, peso de ovos e taxa de postura, correspondendo ao consumo diário de 241,54 mg de metionina + cistina digestível / dia, respectivamente.

ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted to determine the required levels of supplementary vitamin D and calcium in meat-type quail (Coturnix coturnix sp) between 15 and 35 days old. The experiment was a 4 × 4 factorial design with four levels of calcium: 0.42, 0.58, 0.74, and 0.90% and four levels of vitamin D: 1,000; 2,000; 3,000; and 4,000 IU. Body weight and body weight gain increased linearly and feed conversion showed some linear improvement due to increased levels of Ca and vitamin D. The increased vitamin D levels resulted in a linear increase in feed intake. Calcium and vitamin D requirements in meat-type quail between 15 and 35 days of age is greater or equal to 0.90% Ca and greater or equal to 4,000 IU of vitamin D, probably because the experiment was conducted during the pre-laying phase.

El objetivo de este experimento fue evaluar la calidad interna del huevo de las gallinas ponedoras (Hy-line W36), en dos edades diferentes (37 y 69 semanas), con 6 periodos de almacenamiento (1, 7, 14, 21, 28 y 35 día), dos condiciones de almacenamiento (habitación y refrigerador) y dos tipos de embalaje de huevos (con y sin película plástica); asignado a un estudio aleatorizado en un factorial (2 x 6 x 2 x 2). Los parámetros analizados fueron: altura de la albúmina, la pérdida de peso relativo del huevo, la gravedad específica y Haugh unidad (UH). Los huevos almacenados en una nevera y una menor edad de las gallinas ponedoras dieron lugar a una mejor preservación de la calidad interna del huevo. El tipo de embalaje no ha aportado ningún cambio en la calidad interna en los distintos tipos de almacenamiento.

Quality of eggs of laying hens in two ages under different storage conditions and type of egg carton

O objetivo deste experimento foi de avaliar a qualidade interna de ovos de poedeiras comerciais (Hy- line W36), em duas idades diferentes (37 e 69 semanas), com 6 períodos de estocagem (1, 7, 14, 21, 28 e 35 dias), duas condições de armazenamento (ambiente e geladeira) e dois tipos de embalagem de ovos ( com e sem plástico filme); distribuídos em delineamento ao acaso em esquema fatorial (2 x 6 x 2 x 2). Os parâmetros analisados foram: altura de albúmen, perda de peso relativo dos ovos, gravidade específica e unidade Haugh (UH). O armazenamento dos ovos em geladeira e a menor idade das poedeiras proporcionaram melhor conservação da qualidade interna dos ovos. O tipo de embalagem não proporcionou nenhuma alteração na qualidade interna nos diferentes tipos de armazenamento.