EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LIGHT COLOURS ON SOME BEHAVIOURS AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE IN JAPANESE QUAIL

Document Type : Research article

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Abstract

This study was designed to determine the effect of white, red, blue, green and yellow coloured lights on pecking and resting behaviour (crouching and huddling) percent, feather condition, body weight, feed intake, body weight
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EFFECT OF LIGHT ON JAPANESE QUAIL
gain, feed converaion, feed efficiency and mortality percent. The blue and red coloured lights provided the lowest pecking and the highest resting behaviour (crouching & huddling) precent. The greatest pecking and the lowest resting behaviour percent were among the birds reared under either white or yellow coloured lights. The green illuminated group was inbetween the two extremes in regard to pecking and resting behaviour. Birds reared under red or blue coloured light had 100% perfect feather scores (grade 1), whereas those reared under the green, yellow and white coloured lights scored 95.5, 91.48 and 85.71% grade 1 respectively. The blue coloured light provided superior body weight at 6 weeks of age, daily body weight gain, feed conversion and feed efficiency, whereas those reared under red coloured light resulted inferior body weight, daily body weight gain, feed conversion and feed efficiency. The lowest mortality percent was found among the birds kept under blue coloured light, while the highest percent was among the birds reared under the white light.

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