Influência de diferentes fontes de cálcio sobre o desempenho de codornas de corte

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of different sources of calcium on the performance of cut quails from 8 to 35 days of age..The experiment was carried out in the Coturniculture Sector of the Agricultural Sciences Center of the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), where 250 European quails (Coturnix coturnix cortunix) were used, the birds were housed in battery-type cages of galvanized wire. The experimental design was a complete randomized design with five treatments (T1 - basal diet + calcitic limestone, T2 - basal diet + calcium carbonate, T3 - basal diet + mussels shells flour, T4 - basal diet + shells maçunim flour and T5 - basal diet + oyster shell flour) with 5 replications of 10 birds for each experimental unit. The analyzed variables were: weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion. In the phases of 8 to 21, 22 to 35 and from 8 to 35 days of age there were no significant differences (P> 0.05) to feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion between treatments. Alternative sources of calcium, such as sururon, apple and oyster shell meal, can be used in cutting quail feeds without compromising their productive performance in the 8- to 35-day-old period.