Gharaoghlan MF, Bagherzadeh-Kasmani F, Mehri M, Ghazaghi M. The effect of short, long, natural, and intermittent short photoperiods on meat-type Japanese quails.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2022;
66:1737-1745. [PMID:
35750989 DOI:
10.1007/s00484-022-02314-1]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of short (8L:16D), long (23L:1D), natural, and intermittent short (8L(15 min L and 45 min D):16D) lighting programs from day 7 of age on the growth performance, carcass attributes, humoral immunity responses, and blood variables of growing Japanese quails through a 4-week production trial. Birds under the long lighting program were found to have 6.88, 6.24, and 5.55% more body weight compared to the natural, short, and intermittent lighting programs, respectively. Feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) have increased in those birds exposed to long photoperiod (P < 0.01). The feed conversion ratio in those birds exposed to the intermittent short lighting program improved by 6.92% compared to the long lighting program. The application of long photoperiod increased the relative weight of heart (P = 0.027), and liver and ovaries (P < 0.01), while it decreased the relative weight of breast meat (P = 0.06). Humoral immunity system has boosted in the birds exposed to intermittent short lighting program (P < 0.01). Applying the long photoperiod increased alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels (P < 0.01), while total protein and calcium concentrations were increased using intermittent short lighting program (P < 0.01). The lowest heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was observed in the birds raised under the intermittent short lighting program (P < 0.001). The current study revealed that in terms of improving feed conversion ratio, health, and welfare, the intermittent short lighting program (8L (intermittent):16D) could be more appropriate and beneficial for meat-type Japanese quails.
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