High tannin sorghum in diets of japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of replacing corn by high tannin sorghum in diets of japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) on performance and egg quality. Two hundred and fifty-two quails with 50 weeks of age were evaluated during four periods of 21 days. The treatments consisted of diets containing 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of sorghum, and a control treatment (100% of corn). Diets were formulated so that the levels of energy, protein, amino acids (methionine+cystine and lysine), calcium and phosphorus were similar A completely randomized experimental design was used, with six treatments, six replicates and seven quails for experimental unit. Evaluated parameters were egg production (%), feed intake, feed: gain ratio (kg/kg and kg/dozen), egg mass (g), egg weight and egg quality (Haugh unit, eggshell percentage, shell thickness and yolk color). The increasing sorghum levels had a negative linear effect (p<0.05) on egg production (Y=82.9138 - 0.0966553X; R²=0.87), egg mass (Y= 8.0840626 - 0.009336932X; R²=0.80) and yolk color (Y=7.14340-0.0546875X; R²=0.98). On the other hand, the replacement had a positive linear effect on feed:gain ratio expressed as kg/kg (Y=0.372174 + 0.000536191X; R²=0.92) and as kg/dozen (Y=2.71516 + 0.00423485X; R²=0.94). Control treatment means were different by Dunnett's test (p<0.05) for egg mass (g) when compared to the treatment with 100% of replacement and for yolk color when compared to treatments containing 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of sorghum. There were no differences (p>0.05) in feed intake, egg weight, Haugh unit, eggshell percentage and shell thickness. In conclusion, up to 80% of high tannin sorghum may be used on diets if xanthophyll pigments are added in order to maintain the commercial quality of final products

Limestone and oyster shell for brown layers in their second egg production cycle

This study aimed at evaluating the effect of dietary calcium levels and the replacement of calcium sources with different particle size compositions on the performance and egg quality of brown layers in their second egg production cycle. A randomized block experimental design was applied with 12 treatments in a 3x4 factorial arrangement: three calcium levels (2.6, 3.2, 3.8 %) and four combinations of calcium sources (1- 100% fine limestone (FL), 2- 50% FL + 50% coarse limestone (CL), 3- 50% FL and 50% oyster shell (OS), 4- 50% FL and 25% CL+ 25 %OS), with six replicates of eight birds each. Calcium sources were analyzed for geometric mean diameter (GMD) and in-vitro solubility. The following performance and egg quality parameters were evaluated: egg weight (EW, g), egg production (% Eggs), egg mass (EM %), feed intake (FI g), feed conversion ratio (FCR kg/dz and FCR kg/kg), mortality (% Mort.), specific egg gravity (SG), percentages of yolk (Y%), albumen (Alb%) and eggshell (ES%), eggshell thickness (EST), eggshell breaking strength (BS), eggshell weight per surface area (EWSA), Haugh unit (HU), yolk index (YI) and yolk color. Performance and internal egg quality were not affected by the treatments (p>0.05). Blocks had a significant effect on (p<0.05) FI and FCR (kg/dz and kg/kg). Treatments significantly influenced external egg quality, which improved as dietary calcium levels increases and when up to 50% fine limestone was replaced by combinations of coarse limestone with oyster shell