PRODUCTION AND QUALITY OF JAPANESE QUAIL EGGS SUBMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTS WITH DIFFERENT LIGHT SPECTRUMS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to evaluate the performance of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), with 94 (+49) days of age, through the production and quality of the eggs, with the birds kept in environments illuminated with LED lamps in the colors white, blue and red. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with three treatments (lamp colors) and seven replications. In the three environments, the relative air temperature averages can be considered above the thermal comfort zone for quails; however, the black globe temperature index, humidity and the thermal radiation load can be considered comfortable. The laying percentage of the birds kept under white LED was inferior to those maintained in the red LED. The feed intake, the feed conversion, the average weight and the egg quality were not affected by the different lamp colors (P <0.05) or by the climatic indexes that were within the average for the species, and these lamps could be used in the production of quail eggs.

Keywords

• quail breeding
• LED lamp
• lighting technology