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. 2021 Jan;100(1):147-158.
doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.03.030. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Calcium and available phosphorus requirements of Japanese quails in early egg-laying stage

Caroline Espejo Stanquevis  1 , Antônio Cláudio Furlan  1 , Simara Márcia Marcato  1 , Taciana Maria de Oliveira-Bruxel  1 , Taynara Prestes Perine  1 , Eline Maria Finco  1 , Erica Travaini Grecco  1 , Mariani Ireni Benites  1 , Vittor Tuzzi Zancanela  2
Affiliations

Calcium and available phosphorus requirements of Japanese quails in early egg-laying stage

Caroline Espejo Stanquevis et al. Poult Sci. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to estimate the nutritional requirements of calcium (Ca) and available phosphorus (aP) for Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) in the egg-laying stage (64-168 D). The experiment was an entirely randomized design, in a factorial scheme (Ca = 1.70, 2.40, 3.10, and 3.80% and aP = 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60%), with 3 replicates and 10 quails per experimental unit. No interactions were found for quail body weight and daily feed intake (DFI) (P > 0.05). However, body weight decreased linearly (P < 0.05) as the levels of Ca increased, whereas DFI exhibited a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) for both Ca and aP. The lowest values of DFI were estimated in 2.79 and 0.36% for Ca and aP, respectively. Egg production, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio per egg dozen presented significant interaction in which all of them had a quadratic effect (P < 0.05), with estimations for maximum yield in feed containing 2.74, 2.71, 2.75, and 2.74% Ca and 0.40, 0.39, 0.39, and 0.40% aP. The concentration of Ca in the eggshell increased linearly as per the levels of Ca studied, having a quadratic effect for aP levels, with a maximum point of 0.44%. In relation to the bone parameters, there was a linear interaction for Ca and aP in bone density and bone resistance (BR) of the femur, with a quadratic effect in BD estimating 2.84 and 0.50% for Ca and aP, respectively. In BR, the estimation was 3.27% Ca, with linear increase for aP. The BR of the tibiotarso increased linearly as per the Ca levels, obtaining the same Ca concentration response in this bone. As conclusion, when considering the estimations obtained through overlapped contour plots, the best responses to the effects of Ca and aP on productive characteristics were estimated at 2.68% Ca and 0.38% aP to produce feed for egg-laying Japanese quails.

Keywords: bone resistance; egg shell quality; nutrition.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overlapping contour graph of daily feed intake (DFI), egg production (EP), egg mass (EM), feed conversion ratio per egg mass (FCEM), and feed conversion ratio per dozen egg (FCDZ) indicating the estimated levels of calcium and available phosphorus (aP) of Japanese laying quails.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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