Desempenho produtivo e variáveis fisiológicas de codornas de corte mantidas em diferentes ambientes e densidades de criação.

Abstract

Coturniculture is an alternative to human food, as well as a source of income for farmers in the Brazilian semiarid region, due to its adaptability, precocity, low initial investment and little need for labor. The objective of this work was to evaluate the physiological variables and the performance of European quails kept in two environments: A1 - climatic chamber at an average temperature of 33° C and A2 - open shed, with three densities, 10, 11 and 12 birds / cage, from 21 to 42 days of age, during three weekly phases. The birds were distributed in a completely randomized design and a 2 x 3 factorial scheme, with 10 replicates in each plot. Based on the temperature and humidity index values, the environment of the climate chamber during the day was in danger and, in the shed, a warning sign was found. The means of respiratory frequency, cloacal and surface temperature were higher in animals kept in the climatic chamber under daytime thermal stress and the stocking density did not affect the physiological variables, regardless of the breeding place. With the increase in air temperature, in the A1 environment, the density of housing of the birds contributed to the increase in respiratory frequency, cloacal temperature and surface temperature, increasing water consumption and reducing weight gain and feed consumption. The birds kept in the open shed had greater weight gain, due to the higher feed consumption.