LEVELS OF CHOLINE SUPPLEMENTATION IN THE DIET OF LAYING JAPANESE QUAILS

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate different levels of supplementation of choline in the diet of laying Japanese quails in lay. It was used 224 female subspecies Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) with 155 days of age, in the randomized experimental design with four treatments and seven replicates and eight birds per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of inclusion levels of choline per kg diet (0; 500; 1,000 and 1,500mg/kg). The parameters studied were: feed intake, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion by egg mass, feed conversion per dozen eggs, egg production marketable, percentage and weight of the eggs (yolk, albumen and shell) and specific gravity. There was no significant difference for any parameter studied. It was concluded that there is no need for the inclusion of choline in the diet of laying Japanese quails when they are fed diets containing a ratio of 84% methionine plus cystine to lysine.