The effect of addding sodium chloride to drinking water of quails under heat stress on egg production traits

This trial was carried out at Selcuk University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, Experimental Animals Research Center. In this experiment, 30 female Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at the age of 12 weeks were used. In the experiment, corn – soybean meal (SFK) based; 16% crude protein (CP), 2.750 kcal metabolic energy (ME)/kg), 0.80% L-Lysine, 0.30% DL-Methionine, 4.0% calcium (Ca) and 0.40% available phosphorus (AP) containing diet was used. The experiment was carried out in 2 apartment type quail cages in the same room. Quails were housed individually in each cage compartment. Egg production and feed consumption were determined individually, and water consumption was determined as a group. Feed and water consumption was free in the trial. The groups for the trial were arranged as follows: I. Control Group: The quails in this group drank drinking water without added salt. II. Experimental Group: The quails in this group drank drinking water with 0.1% sodium chloride (NaCl) added. Control and experimental groups consisted of 15 female quails each, and a total of 30 quails were used (2 Groups x 15 quails = 30 Quails). The experiment was carried out in 2 apartment type quail cages in the same room. Salt was not added to the drinking water of one of the cages, and 0.1% sodium chloride (NaCl) was added to the other cage. The temperature of the room where the experiment was carried out was automated as 32°C, and a daily lighting program of 16 hours light + 8 hours dark was applied. Illumination intensity is set to 15 lux. Performance data were determined on a weekly basis. The trial period is 4 weeks. As performance data in the trial; egg production, feed consumption and feed evaluation coefficient were taken as basis. The water consumption of quails was determined as a group. The data obtained from the experiment were analyzed by t-test. Addition of 0.1% salt (NaCl) to the drinking water of quails under heat stress significantly increased daily water consumption. On the other hand, salt application significantly increased egg production parameters and eggshell quality criteria.