Demonstração de comportamento de incubação em codornas japonesas (Coturnix coturnix japonica) estudo de caso

Abstract

Coturniculture is a poultry farming and an alternative for human consumption, an option in animal production, with quick capital return and a relatively low investment with the use of small areas, low labor costs. As an alternative food quails were brought to Brazil by Italians. The domestic species of Coturnix coturnix japonica quail came after many crosses in 1910 in the East, a selection made by Japanese and Chinese, who obtained a specialized species for egg production, being considered the smallest bird of the group that belongs to the fasianídeos family (Phasianidae) and the subfamily Perdicinae. Usually bred in captivity, where there are factors that influence their behavior, among them artificial lighting, temperature control, handling routine. In this work the objective was to provide conditions that allowed the manifestation of natural behaviors such as incubation (choco). Twenty females of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) were used in the municipality of Dom Pedrito, four males of the same breed, aged between 35 and 40 days. The birds passed for a period of one month in conventional cages, later they were transferred and installed in a system of creation, not adopting any type of artificial light and nor heaters. The observed period was from February 22, 2017 to February 22, 2018. It was observed that the birds demonstrated the behavior of incubation (choco).