EFFECT OF MALES PECKING BEHAVIOR ON PRODUCTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF JAPANESE QUAIL AND USING SOME WAYS TO REDUCE THIS BEHAVIOR.

This experiment aimed to study the effects of pecking behavior among males on productive and physiological performance of laying Japanese quail. Debeaking of males as an artificial method and sand or straw as a semi-natural method were used to reduce this behavior. A total of 180 Japanese quails five-wk-old were individually weighed and randomly assigned to four experimental groups. All birds were housed in galvanized metal cages (100 x 50 x 50cm3), the floor of the cage consist of galvanized wire. The 1st group used as a control group. Males of the 2nd group were debeaked at 6 and 10 weeks of age. In the 3rd and 4th groups, a wooden box (50 x 45 x 7cm3) were used at the end of each cage, which containing a sand (sand group) or a rice straw (straw group), respectively. Head banging, eyelids injuries, eye closed, eye lost, plumage conditions, normal behavioral activities, body weight, egg production, fertility, hatchability, egg quality and mortality rate were recorded during the experimental period. Also, serum concentration of corticosterone, testosterone and estradiol-17β were determined at 18-wk-old. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) Pecking behavior had a negative impact on all productive and physiological traits of laying Japanese quail. 2) Using semi-natural environment (sand or straw) were the worst treatments especially straw on the most traits compared to other groups. 3) Debeaked group was significantly reduced in head banging, eyelids injuries, eye closed, eye lost, plumage deterioration scores, mortality rate compared with control and other experimental groups. 4) Laying rate, fertility and hatchability percentage were improved in debeaked group compared with other experimental groups. 5) The highest level of serum testosterone was recorded in males of straw group, while the lowest levels were detected in debeaked and sand groups. Females of straw group had significantly higher serum corticosterone and lower serum estradiol-17β levels than other groups. From this study, it could be concluded that using beak trimming of males at 6 and 10 weeks of age leads to reduced aggressive pecking behavior, mortality rates and improved productive and physiological performance of laying Japanese quail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]