Effect of weight loss on the regression of the reproductive organs of quail Italian induced to molt

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of body weight loss (BWL) on regression of reproductive organs in Italian quails (Coturnix coturnix) submitted to forced moult by two methods. Eighty-four Italian quails (40 week old) were submitted to forced moult by the method of Zinc oxide (ZnO), or fasting (F) in order to obtain the following levels of BWL: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35%. The control group consisted of six quails that were not submitted to forced moult. The birds moulted by the ZnO method were fed with an egg laying ration added with 25000 ppm of ZnO while birds moulted by fasting were feed restricted. The quails were euthanized for organ collection as soon as they achieved the desired body weight loss. The results showed that there were no significant differences in ovary and oviduct regression between quails submitted to forced moult by both methods (F and ZnO) for high levels of body weight loss (30 and 35%). The body weight loss during forced moult was highly correlated with the regression of reproductive organs of Italian quails for both fasting and Zinc oxide methods. In order to obtain a satisfactory regression of ovary and oviduct the quails had to lose more than 30% of their initial body weight.