One aimed in this work to evaluate , weekly, the egg yolk colour grade of japanese quails fed on diets with different levels of spice (163.8 mg bixin/100 g), in course of four weeks. Two hundred and forty japanese female quails (Coturnix japonica) were used in a completely randomized block outline, with eight treatments, five replicates and six quails per experimental unit. The treatments, consisted of eight experimental diets resultant from the combination of four spice levels in the diets (0, 1.5, 3.0 e 4.5%) and two energetic sources (corn and broken rice grains), were allotted to the plots, while the four experimental days (7th, 14th, 21st e 28th) consisted the splitplots. The estimated regression equation with the use of logarithmic model explained 96% of the variation of yolk colour scores data. At the 7th and 14th experimental days, the estimated spice levels that promoted yolk colour scores with free-range pattern (8.5 to 9.0 points) were 1.5%, for corn based rations, and 3.0%, for broken rice grains based rations. At the 21st and 28th experimental day, the estimated values were 0.75% (diets with corn) and 2.25% (diets with broken rice grains). In diets with 46% of corn or broken rice grains, the use of upper levels to 3.0% of spice increased the pigment losses by excreta and consequent capacity decrease of store yolk pigments.
Broken rice grains; colorimetric fan; Coturnix japonica; pigments
