Anacardato de cálcio associado com ácido butírico na alimentação de codornas de corte

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of using different combinations of the association of calcium anacardate (ACa) with butyric acid (AcB) in diets for broiler quails, 480 broiler quails were used from 7 to 42 days of age. They were distributed in cages according to an entirely randomized design in a factorial scheme (2 x 3) + 2, totaling 8 treatments with 5 repetitions of 12 birds. The treatments consisted of diet obtained from the studied factors, which were: 2 levels of calcium anacardate (2.5 and 5.0 g/kg diet) and 3 levels of butyric acid inclusion (0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 g/kg diet), and 2 control diet, negative and positive (with growth promoter). Zootechnical performance and carcass characteristics were evaluated. The result of the analysis of variance of the bird performance indicators, which considered in the model all treatments, showed that there was no significant effect between treatments in any of the variables. There was also no interaction between the factors, calcium anacardate and butyric acid levels, as well as no significant difference was detected between the 2 levels of calcium anacardate, as well as between the 3 levels of butyric acid for any of the parameters evaluated. In the evaluation of the carcass parameters, it was observed that diets containing the combinations with the lowest inclusion of calcium anacardate and butyric acid (2.5 g/kg ACa + 0.25 g/kg AcB and 2.5 g/kg ACa + 0.50 g/kg AcB) resulted in birds with smaller livers, while the combinations with the highest levels of calcium anacardate and butyric acid (5.0 g/kg ACa + 0.50 g/kg AcB and 5, 0 g/kg ACa + 1.00 g/kg AcB) caused an increase in liver size of the birds, and the birds fed the diet whose combination of the two additives occurred at intermediate concentrations (2.5 g/kg ACa + 1.00 g/kg AcB and 5.0 g/kg ACa + 0.25 g/kg AcB) had the liver size identical to that of the quails fed the negative and positive control diet. The factor analysis, in turn, showed no significant interaction between factors for any of the variables studied. However, it was observed that the greater inclusion of ACa caused an increase in the largest liver size and that increasing the level of AcB promoted a gradual increase in relative liver weight. It is concluded that the inclusion of calcium anacardate and its association with butyric acid in the diet of broiler quails from 7 to 42 days of age has no influence on performance and carcass parameters of the birds, except for liver size that was greater in the combinations with 5.0 g/kg of calcium anacardate associated with the levels of 0.50 and 1.00 g/kg of butyric acid.