A key challenge in laying quail production: maintaining eggshell quality as the laying cycle progresses with Pidolin® PCa

In laying quails, eggshell formation depends directly on calcium availability. A large share of this calcium comes from the diet, but some also comes from bone reserves that are mobilized every day to for eggshell calcification. With advancing age, these reserves are gradually depleted. This can lead to poorer eggshell quality, a weaker skeleton and more losses from broken eggs.

Keeping both bone quality and egg quality high is therefore essential to extend the birds’ performance late in the laying cycle.

Pidolin® PCa has already been validated in several trials in laying hens. It was recently evaluated in Japanese quails to confirm its value in other poultry species in which egg production places heavy demands on calcium metabolism.

A trial conducted in Brazil on late-laying Japanese quails

In a trial carried out in 2025 with the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB) in Brazil, 96 Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) aged 30 weeks were allocated to two treatment groups:

• Control group: basal diet

• Pidolin® PCa group: basal diet supplemented with Pidolin® PCa at 300 g/t for 84 days (from 30 to 42 weeks of age)

The researchers measured several egg quality and bone quality parameters:

• eggshell breaking strength

• shell percentage

• femur breaking strength

• bone density

• bone mineral composition

A significant improvement in eggshell quality

Eggshell quality is a key economic criterion in quail production. A stronger shell reduces losses from cracked and broken eggs during collection, transport, and packing.

Eggs from quails supplemented with Pidolin® PCa showed:

• a 21% increase in eggshell breaking strength (+0.14 kgf/cm²; p < 0.05)

• a 0.2 percentage-point increase in shell percentage, indicating a thicker shell at equivalent egg weight

These results confirm improved shell mineralization and greater shell strength at the end of the laying period.

Denser, stronger bones

Beyond egg performance, skeletal condition is a key indicator of bird welfare and productive lifespan.

The trial showed several positive effects of Pidolin® PCa on bone quality:

• +22% femur breaking strength compared with the control group

• +9% bone density

• +1.1 percentage points of bone mineral matter (bone ash)

• +0.7 percentage points of bone phosphorus

These improvements reflect better bone mineralization. They also show that the birds kept their mineral reserves better despite the high demands of egg production.

Conclusion: Pidolin® PCa, a nutritional solution to support the performance of quails in mid-to-late lay

This trial confirms the value of Pidolin® PCa in late-laying Japanese quails. At an inclusion rate of 300 g/t of feed, supplementation:

• improved eggshell breaking strength by 21%

• increased eggshell thickness

• enhanced bone mineralisation

• improved bone strength by 22%

By supporting both eggshell quality and skeletal integrity, Pidolin® PCa offers an effective nutritional strategy for late-lay feeding programs in quails and for operations seeking to extend laying persistency.