The aim of this experiment was to determine the best level of salt for Japanese laying quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Three hundred and thirty-six quails with 13 weeks of age were housed in cages with 118 cm²/quail for 84 days (four cycles of 21 days each). The experiment was analyzed as a complete randomized design with seven treatments (0, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, and 0.45% of salt) with six replicates of eight quails per pen. Every 21 days, the productive performance (% of production, feed intake and feed gain ratio [kg/kg and kg/dozen]) and egg quality (average egg weight, egg mass, eggshell percentage and thickness and Unit Haugh) were evaluated. Data were submitted to analyses of variance and regression, and the means, compared by Dunnett test at 5% of significance. Regression equation showed no treatment effect on productive performance. However, by the comparison among the means it was observed that the birds fed diet with salt addition showed higher values of performance and external egg quality than control (without salt). The 0.15% salt level (equivalent to 0.10% of Na and 0.12% of Cl) was sufficient to obtain these results.
egg quality; feces moisture; performance
