This experiment was conducted aiming to verify the effect of four levels of calcium (Ca) and available phosphorus (aP) in the diet on the performance, quality of eggs and the mineral excretion in Japanese quails during the final third of the production cycle. A total of 384 quails at 313 days of age was used. They were distributed in a complete random design in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme composed of four levels of calcium (2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5%) and two levels of available phosphorus (0.15 and 0.35%), so each combination was evaluated in six replicates of eight birds. The experimental diets were isoprotein (19.31% CP), isocaloric (2,800 kcal/kg) and isoaminoacids. It was evaluated the production, weight, mass, height and diameter of the eggs, ration consumption, feed conversion, viability, specific weight, the components of eggs (weight and percentage of shell, albumen and yolk), the balance of calcium and total phosphorus and excretion of mineral matter. There was no interaction between the used levels of calcium and available phosphorus. The increase in the level of calcium in the diet linearly improved the conversion by dozen and it reduced the consumption. It also promoted an increase on the specific weight, on the weight and on the percentage of shell and linear reduction on the weight of yolk and it increased the calcium content in the excreta. The viability and content of phosphorus in the excreta increased as the available phosphorus increased, whereas the other variables were not influenced by the levels of calcium and available phosphorus in the diet. The levels of 3.5% of calcium and 0.15% of available phosphorus are sufficient to provide good productive performance and satisfactory maintenance of the quality of eggs of Japanese quails in the final third of laying (45 to 57 weeks of age), and they correspond to a daily consumption of 899 mg of calcium and 40 mg of available phosphorus per bird.
Coturnix coturnix japonica; egg quality; food conversion; nutritional level; performance; viability
