RELAÇÃO METIONINA E COLINA DIETÉTICA SOBRE O DESEMPENHO DE CODORNAS JAPONESAS (Coturnix coturnix japonica) EM POSTURA

Abstract

We evaluated the relationship between levels of methionine and choline on the performance of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at the production stage, using 432 birds at 65 days of age and weighing 155g, in a completely randomized design in 4x2 (methionine x choline) factorial arrangement with six replicates and nine birds per unit. The levels of choline and methionine were 0, 200, 400 and 600 ppm and 0.65 and 0.75%, respectively. We analyzed the following variables: egg production (% / hen / day), egg weight (g), egg mass (g egg / hen/ day), feed conversion (g / g) and food intake (g / d). We observed a significant interaction for egg production (P ≤ 0.01) and egg mass (P ≤ 0.05) with linear effect for 0.65% methionine and inclusion of increasing levels of choline. There was a quadratic effect of choline levels on feed intake, with 0.65% methionine. The use of choline in diets of quail in production only effects bird performance when 0.65% methionine level is used. Supplementation with choline causes an increase in average egg weight regardless of the level of dietary methionine supplementation.

Keywords

• laying quails
• nutrition
• nutritional requirements
• performance
• sulphur amino acids.