To adapt commercial poultry production to a new scenario of energy savings and to develop specific practices for quail production aimed at reducing costs while maintaining or improving productivity, four experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, birds were allocated to four treatments (photoperiod

This study aimed at developing radiographic techniques for the early detection of dyschondroplastic lesions in the tibia of broilers. The experiment was carried out at the facilities of UNIFOR/MG and Formiga and UNIFENAS/ Alfenas with 420 one-day-old male Cobb broilers. At 20 days of age, all birds were radiographed and identified with an alpha-numeric metal ring in the right leg. At 40 days of age, 42 broilers previously selected as a function of bone mineral density and lesion thickness scores were again radiographed and scored, and then sacrificed. Their right tibia was removed for gross and histological examination of the growth plate. The results showed that radiographic techniques are correlated with gross and histological examination and that there was no significant differences among techniques (P>0.05). it was concluded that the use of radiographic examination to identify tibial dyschondroplasia in broilers precludes the use of bone mineral density to diagnose this condition. The non-parametric statistical Chi-square test at 5% significance level was used to analyze the results

-An experiment employing three hundred and twenty 81-week-old Lohmann LSL commercial-breed hens was conducted to compare alternative induced-molting methods with the conventional method (fasting). Induced molting lasted 28 days at most, production and quality being monitored for four periods of 28 days thereafter. A completely randomized experimental design with five treatments, eight replicates of eight birds each per plot was adopted. The following experimental treatments were applied until a loss of 26% of body weight was reached: T1 -fasting, T2 -wheat bran ad libitum, T3 -rice bran ad libitum, T4 -cracked rice ad libitum, T5 -ground alfalfa ad libitum. Birds were then fed production diet ad libitum, except for those on treatment T1 (fasting) which received 30, 60 and 100 g/bird/day and then feed ad libitum. During induced molting the birds were exposed to a natural photoperiod and at day 28 that period was increased by 30 minutes/week until reaching 16 hours of light/day. The characteristics evaluated during induced molting were: feed intake, body weight changes and laying percentage. In the post-molt period, performance (feed intake, laying percentage, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio per dozen and per egg mass and percentage of broken eggs) and egg quality (specific gravity, eggshell breaking strength, percentages of eggshell, yolk, and albumen, eggshell thickness, yolk color and Haugh unit) were evaluated. Every 28 days one egg was collected from each repetition for three consecutive days for quality assessment. The use of rice bran and wheat bran is viable as molting inducers since the birds given those treatments display performance and egg quality similar to those fasted during the induced molting and also because these ingredients promote easier handling, eliminates the need for grinding and feed-mixing equipment and, being less aggressive, provide greater bird welfare.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da debicagem, por meio de lâmina quente ou por radiação infravermelha, sobre os indicadores produtivos e de qualidade de ovos, em três linhagens de galinhas poedeiras na primeira semana de vida, e se uma segunda debicagem seria necessária na décima semana de idade. As aves foram distribuídas em um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 2x3x2 (primeira debicagem por meio de radiação infravermelha ou por lâmina quente x linhagens Lohmann LSL, Hy-line W-36 e Lohmann Brown x com ou sem debicagem à décima semana de idade), no total de doze tratamentos, com seis repetições. A debicagem por radiação infravermelha, na primeira semana de vida, proporciona os mesmos resultados produtivos e de qualidade dos ovos que o método convencional por lâmina quente. Não houve mortes por canibalismo em aves das três linhagens que não foram submetidas à segunda debicagem, mas se observou decréscimo de 8% da viabilidade, em aves à 63.ª semana de idade.Termos para indexação: bem-estar, produção de ovos, radiação infravermelha, tratamento de bico. Production index and quality of eggs of laying hens subjected to different methods of beak trimmingAbstract -The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of beak trimming, by hot blade or infrared radiation, on the production indicators and egg quality of three laying hen strains in the first week of life, and whether a second beak trimming would be necessary in the tenth week. Birds were distributed in a completely randomized design with 2x3x2 factorial arrangement (first beak trimming by means of infrared radiation or hot blade x the strains Lohmann LSL, Hy-line W-36, and Lohmann Brown x with or without beak trimming at the tenth week of age), totaling twelve treatments with six replicates. Beak trimming by infrared radiation, in the first week of life, provides the same production results and egg quality as the conventional method by hot blade. There were no deaths from cannibalism for birds of the three strains that were not subjected to the second beak trimming; however, a decrease of 8% viability was observed in birds at the 63 th week of age.

ABSTRACT. Egg quality of semi-heavy laying hens fed on low protein diets (14.0% CP) and on different lysine levels is evaluated, while maintaining the same ratio of digestible amino acids / digestible lysine. Four hundred and twenty commercial strain Isa Brown laying hens, 28 weeks old, were divided into 42 experimental plots. A completely randomized design with six treatments and seven replicates was employed in four production cycles of 28 days each. Treatments comprised Control -16.92% CP; 0.750% digestible lysine. Treatments 1 to 5, with CP levels 14% and digestible lysine levels 0.600, 0.675, 0.750, 0.825 and 0.900% respectively. Levels of Treatments 1 and 2 (0.546 and 0.640% digestible Met + Cys / 0.600 and 0.675% digestible lysine) provided smaller egg size. On the other hand, eggs had higher shell percentage when compared to control diet. When compared to other digestible amino acids, digestible lysine requirement may be estimated at 0.750% in a diet with 14% CP, which corresponds to the average daily intake of 876 mg dig. lysine hen -1 day -1 and 798 mg dig. Met + Cys hen -1 day -1 , without jeopardizing performance and eggs' internal and external quality.Keywords: ideal protein, digestible amino acids, Isa Brown, requirement, diet.Níveis de lisina digestível para poedeiras semipesadas e seus efeitos sobre a qualidade dos ovos RESUMO. A presente pesquisa objetivou avaliar a qualidade dos ovos de poedeiras semipesadas submetidas a dietas com baixa proteína (14,0% PB) e diferentes níveis de lisina, mantendo a mesma relação aminoácidos digestíveis/lisina digestível. Foram utilizadas 420 poedeiras da linhagem comercial Isa Brown, com 28 semanas de idade distribuídas em 42 parcelas experimentais. Foi utilizado um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com seis tratamentos e sete repetições, em quatro ciclos de produção de 28 dias/cada. Os tratamentos foram: Controle -16,92% PB; 0,750% lisina digestível. Tratamentos 1 ao 5, com níveis de PB de 14% e lisina digestível de 0,600; 0,675; 0,750; 0,825 e 0,900%, respectivamente. Os níveis referentes aos tratamentos 1 e 2 (0,546 e 0,640% Met + Cis digestível / 0,600 e 0,675% de lisina digestível) proporcionaram menor tamanho do ovo; em contrapartida os ovos obtiveram maior porcentagem de casca, quando comparados à dieta controle. A exigência de lisina digestível em relação aos demais aminoácidos digestíveis, pode ser estimada em 0,750% em dieta com 14% de PB, o que corresponde ao consumo médio diário de 876 mg lisina dig. ave -1 e 798 mg Met + Cis dig. ave -1 dia -1 , sem comprometer o desempenho e qualidade interna e externa dos ovos.Palavras-chave: proteína ideal, aminoácidos digestíveis, Isa Brown, exigência, dieta.