Níveis de proteína em rações com milho ou sorgo para codornas japonesas

The objective of this research was to evaluate crude protein levels in corn or sorghum rations on performance and quality of Japanese quail eggs in the laying phase. We used 320 quails with an initial age of 14 weeks. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme, with 2 foods (maize and sorghum) and 5 crude protein levels (16, 18, 20, 22 and 24%), totaling 10 treatments with 4 replicates and 8 Birds per experimental unit. The performance and egg quality variables were evaluated. There was a quadratic effect of crude protein (CP) levels on feed intake, feed conversion per dozen and by mass, egg weight, albumen index and specific weight. The corn ration provided better marketable egg and egg production in relation to the sorghum ration when the CP level used was 16%. There was a quadratic effect of CP levels on the production of total and marketable eggs only of the birds that received feed with sorghum. It can be concluded that sorghum may substitute maize in Japanese quails. Sorghum feed should contain 21.7% crude protein for higher egg production and 19.38% crude protein for higher egg weight.