Environmental effects on weight and number of eggs of captive partridges.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental effects of male:female (m:f) proportion, average age (AA) and average weight (AW) of female partridge (Rhynchotus rufescens) on weights (EW) and numbers (EN) of eggs on the posture season. The experiment was conducted at Setor de Animais Silvestres of FCAV (Unesp) from October to December of 2015. Records of AA, AW, EN and EW were obtained from 48 female partridges born between 2008 and 2012. The birds were randomly assigned on 16 pens with seven different m:f proportions (0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.33, 1.5, 2.5 and 3). A total of 135 eggs were collected being discarded broken or pecked eggs. Least squares analysis were used to study EN and EW using the GLM procedure of the SAS program. The fixed effect of m:f proportion and covariate effects of AA and the AW of female were considered in the model for EN by box. The covariate effects of AA and AW were considered in the model for EW. The effects of m:f proportion, AA and AW were significant (p < 0.05) for EN analysis. The AA effect was significant for EW analysis (p < 0.05). The mean, maximum and minimum values for EN by pen were 8.43 ? 6.07, 20 and 1 respectively. The mean, maximum and minimum values for EW were 57.7 ? 4,95g, 70g and 46g respectively. The obtained results showed higher egg weight with the increasing of female weight and the opposite situation was observed with the decreasing of female age. The analysis indicated that the m:f proportion influenced egg production of female partridges as consequence of behavioral factors during the reproductive cycle. There were influence of age and weight of females on the egg weight suggesting the importance of the use of AA and AW as discarding criteria in future breeding seasons.