The quail raising in Brazil has increased through the last years and the incubation procedures are important to maintenance and improvement of quail egg production. To obtain a sufficient number of eggs to fill an incubator, eggs are usually accumulated in storage over a period from 1 day up to 3 weeks before incubation. The objective of this research was to verify the effect of egg storage on hatchability and egg weight loss for two lineages of Japanese quails. Sixty four Japanese quails were divided in two groups: G1 (n=32) for meat production and G2 (n=32) for egg production. They were used for serial egg collections that were performed every day, during 15 consecutively days, totaling 600 eggs. After collection they were placed in refrigerated room (20°C and 60% of relative humidity) and submitted to different periods of storage, from 0 day until 14 days, according to their collection day. The incubation occurred at 37.6°C and 60% RH. The weight measurements were done during storage, incubation and hatching. The results showed that for Meat type and Egg type quails, the egg hatchability was around 84% until 10 days of storage, and then this rate decreased significantly. Both types of quail eggs presented similar weight loss during storage and incubation. The research showed that quail eggs present great hatchability until 10 days of storage and that eggs submitted to storage present a reduced weight loss during incubation

The objective of this research was to evaluate effects of female broiler breeder dietary ME and CP during rearing and dietary ME during early lay on broiler offspring performance and carcass yield dynamics. A factorial arrangement of treatments, with 2 ME levels, and 2 balanced protein levels from 3 to 24 wk, followed by 2 ME levels in the lay diets, and in the broilers, 2 sexes. A total of 1,635 broilers were housed in 32 pens, with 8 replicate pens according to maternal laying diet and sex. Maternal pullet diets were nested within pen (n = 9 to 14, depending on hatch rate). The broilers originated from 384 Ross 708 hens, which had been fed diets containing high (2,736 kcal/kg, HEREAR) or low ME (2,528 kcal/kg, LEREAR) combined with either high (15.3%, HPREAR) or low balanced protein (13.7% CP, LPREAR). Equal numbers of hens from each pullet treatment were then fed either a high (2,900 kcal/kg, HELAY) or low ME diet (2,800 kcal/kg, LELAY) containing 15% CP. Broilers were hatched from eggs collected at 28 wk of age, and fed identical diets. Broilers were individually weighed weekly. Serial dissections were conducted to evaluate yield breast muscle and abdominal fatpad dynamics. At 39 d, 180 broilers were processed to measure carcass yield. Female progeny of hens with the lowest CP intake during rearing (HEREAR × LPREAR) were lighter from 22 to 36 d of age than female offspring from hens that consumed more CP as pullets. We predicted the heaviest female progeny would result from an ME:CP ratio of 18.25 kcal/g in maternal pullet diets (P = 0.0063). Broiler breast yield increased when maternal EM:CP ratio increased after switching from pullet to laying diets. Hens fed HEREAR were fatter and had fatter progeny than LEREAR. Maternal diet, even during the pullet phase, influenced progeny growth and yield.

The objective of the current research was to evaluate transgenerational effects of maternal dietary energy and protein on growth, efficiency, and yield of broiler offspring. A factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of high and low ME and CP levels fed during the rearing and laying phases was used. The study was a final 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, including broiler sex. Ross 708 broiler breeder pullets (n = 933) were fed diets containing 2,736 (HE REAR ) or 2,528 kcal/kg ME (LE REAR ) with either 15.3% (HP REAR ) or 13.7% CP (LP REAR ). From 25 wk, dams were fed a 15% CP laying diet containing 2,900 (HE LAY ) or 2,800 kcal/kg ME (LE LAY ). Following artificial insemination of the dams at 35 wk, eggs were collected for 1 wk, incubated, and pedigree hatched to preserve maternal identity. Broiler offspring were placed sex-separately into 32 pens, according to laying phase maternal treatments, with rearing maternal treatments nested within pens. Individual BW and pen level feed intake were recorded weekly. Broilers were processed at 40 d of age to evaluate yield. Maternal diet effects on offspring BW were sex dependent and transient. Female LP REAR × LE LAY broilers had lower pectoralis major and carcass yield than HP REAR × LE LAY females. Male HP REAR × HE LAY broilers had increased breast yield (19.8%) compared with 18.4% in HP REAR × LE LAY broilers. Carcass yield was lower in LE REAR × HP REAR broilers (63.7%) compared with HE REAR × HP REAR broilers (64.9%). LE REAR × HP REAR dams had the lowest ME to CP ratio (E: P) diets and highest rearing phase CP intake. Maternal diet did not influence offspring FCR. The most consistent contributor to increased BW was higher maternal dietary CP and ME during rearing. Low ME maternal laying phase diets increased BW of male offspring more consistently than of female offspring. Maternal nutrition also influenced broiler yield, and is thus economically important. Energy and protein dilution in broiler breeder pullet diets may have detrimental effects on offspring performance.

A AB BS ST TR RA AC CT TTemperature is the most important factor affecting embryonic development, hatchability and post hatch performance. Optimum incubation temperature is normally defined as that required to achieve maximum hatchability. This work was carried out to verify the effects of different incubation temperatures on hatchability, hatch weight, hatch time and embryonic mortality of Japanese quail eggs. A total of 800 eggs were divided in eight experimental groups that were incubated at different temperatures (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41ºC). The other incubation conditions were identical for all groups, 60±5% of relative humidity and egg turning every two hours until transference to the hatchers at 15 days of incubation. The results showed that fertile hatchability was higher for eggs incubated at 37 and 38ºC, 76.6 and 80.7%, respectively. Eggs incubated at 34ºC did not hatch and the ones incubated at 35 and 41ºC showed very poor hatchability. The other temperatures had hatch rates from 50.3 to 57.7%. There were higher hatch weights in eggs incubated at high temperatures (38-41°C) compared t o the ones incubated at the lower ones (35-37°C). T here was an enormous difference in the hatching time according to the incubation temperature. The difference of time between the groups of eggs that hatched earlier (40°C) compared to the ones the hatcher later (35°C) was 156.3 hou rs or 6.5 days. Embryos seemed to be resistant to at high temperatures until 40°C at the early period of incubation, ho wever the same was not observed at the later stages of incubation when high temperatures (39-41°C) increased embryoni c mortality.Key words: hatch performance; humidity; poultry; temperature R RE ES SU UM MO OA temperatura é o fator mais importante para o desenvolvimento embrionário, a eclodibilidade e o desempenho pós-nascimento de aves. A temperatura ideal é normalmente aquela que permite máxima eclodibilidade. Este trabalho verificou os efeitos de diferentes temperaturas de incubação sobre a eclodibilidade, perda de peso dos ovos, peso ao nascer, tempo de nascimento e mortalidade embrionária de ovos de codornas japonesas. Foram utilizados 800 ovos, divididos em oito grupos experimentais e incubados em diferentes temperaturas (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 e 41ºC). As demais condições de incubação foram idênticas para todos os grupos, 60±5% de umidade relativa e viragem a cada 2 horas até a transferência para a nascedoura no 15º dia de incubação. A eclodibilidade dos ovos férteis foi maior para os ovos incubados a 37 e 38ºC; 76,6 e 80,7%, respectivamente. Os ovos incubados a 34ºC não eclodiram e os incubados a 35 e 41ºC apresentaram um índice muito baixo de eclodibilidade. As outras temperaturas proporcionaram eclodibilidade entre 50,3 e 57,7%. Os pesos ao nascer foram elevados nos grupos incubados em temperaturas altas (38-41°C) quando comparados aos grupos incubados em temperaturas baixas (35-37°C). Observou-se diferen ça no tempo de nascimento de acordo com a temperatura de incubação. A diferença de tempo entre o...

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of egg storage at low temperatures (7.5±1 ºC) on incubation parameters and egg compounds of meat type Japanese quail eggs. The egg sampling of meat type Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) was done during 22 consecutive days, totaling 440 eggs. They were individually identified and weighted. They were stored in a domestic refrigerator (7.5±1 ºC and 50% relative humidity). After storage, they were incubated at 37.5ºC with 60%RH and turning every 30 minutes. Hatched chicks were weighted individually. The results showed that the hatchability was satisfactory in all groups. The lowest hatchability was in the eggs stored for 20 days (60%). Egg weight loss during storage reached 3.4% at 20 th day. There was no relation between storage period and egg weight loss during incubation.

This study aimed at evaluating the alternative method of zinc oxide and fasting to induce molt in Japanese quails. A total number of 190 48-week-old quails was used. They were at end of laying cycle, and presented low egg production. Quails molted by zinc oxide (Z) were fed a diet containing 25,000 ppm of zinc oxide, and received water ad libitum. Quails treated by fasting (F) received no feed and a day of water restriction. The treatment period was determined by the experimental level of body weight loss (BWL). Birds were submitted to different levels of BWL in order to analyze reproductive system regression (ovary + oviduct), and livability. The following groups were established according to their BWL: Control (untreated quails); F25 (25% BWL by F); F35 (35% BWL by F); Z25 (25% BWL by Z), and Z35 (35% BWL by Z). Z25, Z35, and F35 presented no significant differences in reproductive system weights after molting; however, their weights were lower than F. Z, Z, and F presented the following livability: 97.5, 72.5, and 90%. Japanese quails treated by the alternative method of zinc oxide, presenting body weight loss of 25%, showed low mortality rate, and adequate regression of the reproductive organs

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Processing of poultry products requires a severe microbiological quality control, considering they are one of the main sources of foodborne infections. The objective of this research was to perform the isolation of enterobacteria in broiler carcasses from commercial establishments in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza in Ceará State, Brazil. Broiler carcasses were collected and selected as fresh (n = 14), refrigerated (n = 18) and frozen (n = 19). Carcasses were submitted to a rinsing method, followed by pre-enrichment and enrichment with Rappaport-Vassiliadis and Selenite-Cystine, streaked on plates with Brilliant Green, MacConkey and Salmonella-Shigella agars, and to a presumptive biochemical identification. It was verified that all broiler carcasses categories presented enterobacteria contamination, with the following frequency of isolation: Proteus sp., 66.7%; Enterobacter sp., 15.7%; Citrobacter sp., 2%; Escherichia coli, 47.1%; Klebsiella sp., 11.8%; Shigella sp., 5.9%, and Salmonella sp. 11.8%. It was observed that no combination of culture media was able to detect all enterobacteria contamination in the broiler carcasses. Thus, it may be necessary the use of several combinations of culture media to determine the real microbiological quality of broiler carcasses.