Avaliação da viabilidade econômica associada à alimentação de codornas de corte criadas sob diferentes programas de luz e abatidas em diferentes idades

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the economical viability associated with the feeding of meat quails of both sexes created under different light programs and slaughtered at different ages. A total of 1000 European quail sexed (Coturnix coturnix coturnix) were used, distributed in a completely randomized design, in a 2x2 factorial scheme (two sexes and two light programs), with five replications of 50 birds. The light programs were applied in the period from 7 to 49 days of age, being the natural light program constituted of 12 hours and 30 minutes of natural light and 11 hours and 30 minutes of dark during the night and the continuous light program consisted of 23 hours of constant light, 12 hours and 30 minutes of natural light, 10 hours and 30 minutes of artificial light and 1 hour of dark. During the experimental period the birds of the different treatments were submitted to the same feeding program. The feed intake and final weight data were evaluated in three different age periods: 7 to 35, 7 to 42 and 7 to 49 days, as well as the procedures for obtaining carcass, breast, thigh and drumstick and their muscles occurred in the three ages evaluated. The economic viability was evaluated based on feed costs of quails obtained at each slaughter age considered on the production of carcass, breast and thigh and overcook, and breast and thigh and overcook muscles. There was a significant interaction between the light program and sex for feed intake and slaughter weight, observing that in the continuous light program, males obtained averages for feed intake and slaughter weight, significantly lower than the female. In the evaluation of the economic viability of feed costs for carcass, breast and thigh and overcoat production, breast muscle and thigh and overcoat muscle, no significant interaction was observed between any of the factors analyzed. There was also no significant effect on the variables between the sexes. However, there was a significant difference between light programs for all variables, where the natural light program presented the lowest feed costs for the production of one kilogram of carcass, breast and thigh and overcook and its muscles, as well as the best indices of economic efficiency and cost. There was also a significant effect for the slaughter ages on all the variables evaluated in this study, where age at 35 days was significantly better for all variables. It was concluded that it is possible to use the natural daylight program for the creation of cut quails recommending slaughter at 35 days of age, since, under these conditions, the parameters of feed intake, final weight and carcass weight, and yields remained within the appropriate standard and production costs were significantly lower and with better economic viability.