Abstract This study assessed the effect of different periods of post-hatch fasting on animal performance and breast and digestive system growth in European quail. Quail chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design, with four fasting periods (0, 24, 36, and 48 hs) and four replications of 40 birds per treatment. In 1 to 14-day-old chicks, weight gain decreased with increasing fasting time. Compensatory gain was observed from 15 days of age onward. Fasted quail had a lower length and relative weight of the digestive system than fed animals for up to 14 days. Histologically, the duodenal villus height was significantly lower in 3-day-old quail fasted for 36 hs than in those fasted for 48 hs, but this effect was not observed at 7 days. Scanning electron microscopy showed no differences in the small intestinal mucosa between fasted and fed birds at 3 days of age. Post-hatch fasting reduced the relative weight of the breast in quail aged 1 to 14 days but did not affect type IIa and IIb fiber diameter at 35 days. On the basis of these results, it is recommended that European quail raised for meat should not be fasted for more than 48 hs post-hatch.

Objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar o efeito da redução de nutrientes e energia suplementada ou não com fitase para frango de corte na fase 14 a 24 dias de idade no consumo, excreção e balanço de nitrogênio, de cálcio e de fósforo. Foram distribuídos 392 frangos de corte em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, utilizando-se arranjo fatorial 3 x 2 + 1 que consistiram de nível reduzido de cálcio e fósforo; níveis reduzidos de aminoácidos e energia; níveis reduzidos cálcio, fósforo, aminoácidos e energia x com e sem enzima + controle positivo, totalizando sete tratamentos com oito repetições de sete aves por unidade experimental. Nas dietas com fitase utilizou-se 500 FTU de fitase/kg de ração. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas por contrastes ortogonais através do teste F. Os resultados demonstram que a enzima fitase utilizada permitiu diminuir a quantidade de nutriente e energia das rações, proporcionando redução de 21,34% na excreção de cálcio e balanço de cálcio de 20,16%. Similarmente, reduções das quantidades de excreção de nitrogênio em 7,56% e fósforo em 21,34%, diminuindo a excreção desses nutrientes e aumentando o balanço de nitrogênio e fósforo em 9,41 e 33,94% em média, respectivamente.

Theobjective of thisstudywas to evaluatethe effect ofreducedcalcium, phosphorus, energy andamino aciddietsupplemented withphytase forbroilersin the growth phase(14 to28 days)on the ofnitrogen, calciumand phosphorus balance. We distributed392male broilersofCobb, in a completely randomizedin a factorial3 x2 + 1Reduced levelofCaandP; Reduced levels ofamino acidsand energylevelsreducedCa, P, andamino acids x with and withoutenzyme+positive control), seven treatmentswitheight replicatesof sevenchicks each. In the diets with phytasewas used 500 FTU of phytase/ kg diet.Data weresubmitted to varianceanalysisandaverages werecomparedby theF test fororthogonal contrasts. Through the results can be seen that the enzyme phytase used thus of 21,34% reduction in calcium excretion end apparent retention ratio of calcium to 20,16%. Similarly, reductions of nitrogen excretion by 7,56% and phosphorus excretion by 21,34%, the environmental impact reducing caused by the excretion of these nutrientes of these nutrientes and increasing the apparent retention ratio of 9,41 and 33,94% in average, respectively.