Comparison of growth, slaughter-carcass and some behavior characteristics of Japanese quails grown in conventional and alternative

This study was carried out to reveal the effects of different rearing systems on performance, welfare and behavioral characteristics in Japanese quail. The animal materials of the study were consisted of 630 Japanese quail chicks. At the one-day old, the hatch weights of the chicks were weighed and the wing number was attached and they were transferred to the brooder cages with two repetitions in each group depending on the rearing system. In this study, conventional layer cages (240 quail), conventional deep litter cages (240 quail) and enriched cages (150 quail) were used. All individual body weights of mixed-sex quails from hatch to slaughter day were measured weekly. Focal sampling, tonic immobility, dermatitis, and feather score were measured in quails every week. In addition, bilateral symmetry in the third and eighth weeks, gait score in the eighth week and open field area tests in the fifth week were performed. In terms of live weight averages of quails used in the study, statistically significant differences were determined between both experiment groups and genders (P <0.05). Accordingly, it is possible to say that the live weight averages (60.36 g) of quail grown in a conventional cage are higher than both those grown in the ground cage (30.47 g) and in the enriched cage (52.08 g). Averages of β0, β1, β2 parameters of Gompertz growth curve model are found as 262.05, 3.76, 0.050 for conventional cage, 228.12, 3.57, 0.042 for ground cage and, 252.53, 3.86 and 0.045 for enriched cage, respectively. In the study, while statistically significant differences (P<0.05 for both) were determined between the experimental groups in terms of mean weight of the carcass and abdominal fat, no difference was found between the experimental groups in terms of gizzard, heart, liver and total edible internal organ weights. The highest hot carcass weight (115.13 g) was determined in quails reared in a conventional cage, and the average of carcasses (111.16 g) grown in the enriched ground cage was higher than the average of those raised in the ground cage (P<0.05). There was a difference between the groups in terms of cold carcass weight, and it was determined that the quail grown in a conventional cage (116.29 g) was similar to the average of quail (116.29 g) grown in enriched cage (108.17 g). 0.05). The time budget averages (82.01 sec and 78.30 sec, respectively) related to the feed-eating behavior of quails housed in the conventional cage and the ground cage were found higher than those of the enriched ground cages (64.58 sec) (P<0.05). The highest average (113.90 sec) in terms of the time they allocate for walking belongs to those who live in the enriched cage, followed by the quails (103.09 sec) and the quails in the conventional cage (95.75 sec), respectively (P <0.05). As expected in terms of peeling behavior, the time budget averages of the quails grown on the ground (place 26.78 sec, enriched 17.93 sec) were higher than the average (4.96 sec) of those housed in a conventional cage. While the average of tonic immobility period of quails, which were housed in the conventional cage in the first two weeks, was higher than the other groups, the average of the enriched cage in the next two weeks was higher. The average of quail grown in cage-enriched cage (0.10) was found to be better than the mean (0.43 and 0.49, respectively) of both grown in conventional-fold cage and on the ground (P <0.05). When the relative asymmetry values are analyzed, the highest proportional asymmetry averages in terms of face, wing, shank length and diameter, which are measured at the age of three weeks, are determined in the conventional ground cage, while the relative proportional asymmetry averages have lower values for the quail housed in the conventional cage and enriched cage. The lowest values were found in quail grown in conventional cages for face and wing feature (P <0.05 for both traits). In terms of gait score, the best averages were obtained from quails housed in conventional ground cages and enriched ground cages (1.63 and 1.80 respectively), while the average of quail housed in a conventional fold cage (0.27) was lower (P <0.05). In the study, it was determined that the average of quails hosted in ground cages in terms of foot base fire was worse than that in conventional-floor cages. When the open field test was examined, it was found that there was a difference between the groups in terms of first singing time and in the conventional floor cage (74.08), ground cage (60.33) and enriched ground cage (49.25), respectively. As a result; when all the traits are examined, it is determined that quail reared in conventional cages is advantageous compared to other alternatives.