2021 Volume 10 Issue Supplement Pages PP06_p20-PP06_p23
This study aimed to evaluate the behavioral changes of Japanese quail under different temperature conditions. The experiment was carried on 36 days-old, 240 Japanese quails that were reared under three different temperature levels: (1) severe (38 °C), (2) near comfort zone (25 °C), and (3) ambient temperature (TA-30 °C). Each treatment consisted of 80 quails, one male and one female in each cage. The following behavioral traits were recorded in each treatment: (1) eating, (2) drinking, (3) aggressive activity, e.g., feather pecking, (4) other activities (quiet, resting, and no movement) for 10 seconds at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm. The experiment lasted four days. The results showed that the Japanese quails displayed all observed behaviors in the different temperature conditions. The highest number of birds showed behaviors related to being quiet, resting, and no movement. There was a statistically significant difference in feeding behavior among the different temperature levels after 4 hours of measurements. The highest percentage of quails showed eating activity at ambient temperature treatment, whereas severe temperature recorded the lowest percentage of quails exhibiting this activity (p < 0.05). The percentage of quails showing drinking activity was the lowest at near comfort zone temperature and the highest at severe temperature (p < 0.05). The percentage of birds with aggressive activity was the highest in near comfort zone temperature (p = 0.058).
