Effect of Different Dietary Electrolyte Balance Values at High Temperature Peaks on Performance and Egg Quality of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

SUMMARY: The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of dietary electrolyte balance on the live performance and egg quality of Japanese quail subjected to high temperatures peak. Six hundred birds were distributed, according to a completely randomized experimental design, into 5 treatments with 8 replicates of 15 birds each. The following electrolyte balance values were applied: 140, 196, 241, 286, and 320 mEq/kg. The performance parameters evaluated were egg production, daily feed intake, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio. Egg quality was evaluated relative to egg weight, egg specific gravity, yolk weight, eggshell weight, albumen egg weight, eggshell thickness, and yolk color. Dietary balance electrolytic influenced quadratically egg mass and feed conversion rate. Quail fed diets containing electrolytic balance between 196 and 241 mEq/kg feed presented better yolk and albumen weight results. Dietary electrolyte balance affects the performance and egg quality of laying Japanese quail when submitted to high peak environmental temperatures.

Keywords

• acid–base balance
• eggshell
• heat stress
• egg production