Lighting programs at growing phase and their effects on performance and egg quality of meat quails at laying reared in equatorial region

Abstract

Abstract When applied at growing phase, lighting program aims to obtain quails with body weight and physiological maturity suitable for the beginning of laying. This study evaluates lighting programs at growing phase on performance, sexual maturity and egg quality of meat quails (Coturnix coturnix) at laying phase. During the period from 7 to 49 days of age, 300 female meat quails were subjected to three lighting programs (natural, intermittent and continuous), with 5 replicates of 20 birds each. At 49 days of age, 240 quails were transferred to a shed, maintaining the same experimental distribution and submitted to the same conditions. Continuous and intermittent lighting programs at growing resulted in more precocious quails when compared to natural lighting program. Quails submitted to natural lighting program at growing phase presented lower egg production during all periods, not differing for birds submitted to continuous and intermittent programs from the second period (71 to 92 days of age). It is concluded that in equatorial region, the natural lighting program at growing phase increases the age of sexual maturity and impairs the performance of meat quails at laying; in turn, the intermittent lighting program maintains the sexual maturity, performance and quality of eggs at laying phase.