Study on the Influence of Average Daily Light Duration and Different Levels of Battery Cages on Production Performance of the Baloteşti Hens Quail Population

Abstract In order to determine the effect of average daily lighting duration and battery cages level on the production performance of laying quails, an experiment on 500 quail hens of Balotesti population in 1-15 months laying period was organized. To achieve this, quails were divided into two equal groups (250 heads/lot), the control group was maintained on a 24-hour lighting period and experimental group was maintained in a program with discontinuous illumination, using natural lighting completed with artificial light with a variable duration (12 hours and 30 minutes during the first 6 months of laying curve, 14 hours and 10 minutes in the following). To complete the study on the battery cage effect temperature was recorded on each level in both groups. During the period studied, the results were significantly higher in the experimental group compared with the controls ones. The average production performance regarding the percentage of laying was higher by 10.21% and egg production per capita was higher by 21.92%. Average consumption of mixed feed was 4.33% higher in the experimental group, while specific consumption was 25.51% higher in the control group quail. Average mortality was 10.60% lower in the experimental quails group. In conclusion, the use of a discontinuous lighting with variable duration program depending on the laying curve (lower in the first part of the lay curve and higher in the second part of it) is recommended. The influence of the cages battery was insignificant, but should be considered that temperature fluctuations in the 5 levels were not higher than 4 Celsius degrees in both groups.