Aspectos reprodutivos de machos de codornas japonesas (Coturnix coturnix japonica) criados sob diferentes tipos de lâmpada e cor da luz

Abstract

In this study aimed to evaluate the effects of different light sources in the reproductive performance of male Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Two hundred and forty male quail a day were used and housed in a completely randomized design with six treatments and five replications in shed divided into six rooms with bright isolation, each containing a cage with 40 poultry exposed homogeneously to a specific bulb type: incandescent, fluorescent or LED (light emitter dioded) in color blue, white, red and green. The experimental plot consisted by a poultry. At 35 days of age ten male of each room were divided into five cages with each 20 female, created in the same conditions as male for the fertility test. At 35, 47, 57, 71 and 123 days of age a poultry of each cage was weighed and sacrificed for the evaluations: testicular size, cloacal gland and histological analysis of the testicles. From 117 days of age were realized three semen collections every three days for the semen quality evaluation. At this age they were also collected and incubated 30 eggs of each room for fertility testing. At 35 days of age, the red LED and fluorescent bulbs resulted (P<0.05) in higher testicular weight, higher gonadosomatic index and greater area of the seminiferous tubules. Also in this age, it was observed that the fluorescent bulbs provided (P<0.01) greater height of the germinal epithelium. At 57 days, the white LED bulbs were similar to the results obtained by the red LED and fluorescent bulbs, however, resulted (P<0.01) in greater area of seminiferous tubules and greater height of the germinal epithelium. There were no differences (P>0.05) in the other variables analyzed. It concludes that the fluorescent bulbs and red LED promote early testicular development in quail and white LED better late development and greater germinal epithelium, however, without affecting the reproductive performance of poultry at later ages.