Some Behavioral Traits of the Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Rearing in Cages

In this study, some behaviors of the Japanese quails, raised in cages, such as feeding (F), drinking (D), activation (A), lying (L), standing (S), feather pecking (FP) and aggressive pecking (AP) were observed once a week between 10:30 and 11:30 am. The behavioral observations for 20 quails were launched when the quails were 3 days of age and continued for 5 weeks. In the study, where the time-sampling method was applied, the behavioral traits observed once in every 5 min during a 4 h observation were recorded. The Japanese quails at the first 5 weeks of age displayed feeding and drinking behaviors most in the study. Activation and lying behaviors were observed at close frequencies whereas feather pecking and aggressive pecking behaviors occurred at rather low levels. The feeding behavior was observed 0.40 times more at a significant level in the 1st week than in the 5th week (p<0.01). The feeding behavior, which occurred at the highest level in the first week, had a descending course and was observed at the lowest level in the 5th week. It was observed that the feeding behavior in the other weeks was 0.36 times lower in the 2nd week, 0.31 times lower in the 3rd week and 0.19 times lower in the 4th week than in the 5th week. The feeding behavior was at an insignificant level between the first 3 weeks and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks. It was found out that the Japanese female quails displayed feeding behavior 0.22 times more at a significant level than the male quails (p<0.01).