Review Reports - Thermal Conditions of Laying Quail Sheds in Brazil

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript is very well written and well structured. The theme is a gap in the quail production area. However, the theme is better suited to a “short communication” publication or technical article, as it presents an overview of the level of technification in quail egg production systems. I recommend submitting to other journals or resubmitting in another submission category.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor editing of English language required.

Author Response

The article type for the manuscript is changed to a "Technical note" according to your proposal.

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

General Comments

Before submitting authors need to review the check list:

- Review of the structure and organization of the article (introduction with clear objectives, methodology that allows replication, results with robust analysis and conclusions that respond to the objectives).

-Check if the data analysis methods are well explained in the methodology.

- Tables and figures must be self-explanatory and correctly mentioned in the text.

- Is the discussion current and sufficient?

- Make sure the conclusions highlight the research.

- Check the quality and currency of the references and the scope of the work.

General comment to the authors of this article

The Article is quite interesting and fits within the scope of the journal.

You need to improve the article's presentation structure, following the reviewer's recommendations.

The Introduction has no general and specific objectives.

You should improve some references because conferences are not recommended.

You must improve your conclusions.

You need to insert some current quotes that I'm already going through to make the article more robust.

INTRODUCTION

It is important to start the article with the current reference of 2023, high impact factor.

On line 26, climate countries [1]. Include [1, da Silva]

da Silva, J.L.B., de Albuquerque Moura, G.B., da Silva, M.V., de Oliveira-Júnior, J.F., Jardim, A.M.D.R.F., Refati, D.C., ... & Santos, R.C. (2023). Environmental degradation of vegetation cover and water bodies in the semiarid region of the Brazilian Northeast via cloud geoprocessing techniques applied to orbital data. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 121, 104164.

The information in [3] is four years old. Because it is statistical information, does it have more current data? Up to 2 years?

As you will write that Brazil has continental dimensions, it is already important to refer to research with a high impact factor carried out on the climate, which shows that there are differences.

Then put the reference below before the paragraph that starts on line 33:

Cesca et al. (2021) studied climatic conditions in Brazil during the thermal extremes of the summer and winter seasons over 10 years. The results showed that the main regions used for animal production are in a situation of thermal emergency due to high temperatures in the summer and intense cold in the winter.

Cesca, R.S., Santos, R.C., Goes, R.H.D.T., Favarim, A.P.C., Oliveira, M.S.G.D., & Silva, N.C.D. (2021). Thermal comfort of beef cattle in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Science and Agrotechnology, 45.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The geographic location and climate classification (Koppen) of the 5 regions of Brazil where the 25 warehouses are located were missing.

The writing on the images can be more readable.

Where did you get the idea that a 10% error is ideal for this type of analysis? It is extremely important to reference this value because considering US$1 million represents a loss of US$100,000. And in a production of 10 thousand birds, it is assuming a loss of 1000 birds.

RESULTS

Are you sure it's P<0.001? and P<0.01? and P<0.0001? These 3 different values? Is it not 1% or the 10% that are in the methodology?

"the cages are arranged vertically or pyramidally, both in battery mode" It is important to insert at least one photo illustrating how these systems work because if the reader does not have deep knowledge, he will not know how they work.

DISCUSSION

It is impossible to discuss temperature without considering RH or rain. It's a binomial.

After line 206 South and Midwest, respectively.

Insert the paragraph:

The variability of rainfall, as highlighted by Da Silva et al. (2023), has direct effects on climate, vegetation, and water resources, making human activities more susceptible to climate impacts. In Brazil, the irregular temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall, added to high temperatures and radiation, accentuates the effects of the tropical climate and increases the vulnerability of warmer regions to human activities, such as animal production.

It is important to discuss the sustainability of the use of building materials since, in the context of this article, it is what prevails.

After line 262, blocking 70% to 90% of radiance, depending on the material.

Insert:

According to Lovatto et al. (2020), the optimization of construction processes by combining different techniques and materials can make buildings more sustainable and adapted to the climate. By evaluating cost, time, and environmental comfort, this approach allows for better resource management, making buildings more viable. The application of these concepts in poultry housing for the production of quails is extremely important since most are open facilities and the improvement of animal welfare directly reflects on productivity.

Lovatto J., Santos RC, Souza C., Zucca R., Lovatto F., & Geisenhoff LO (2020). Uso de programação linear para tomada de decisão: Uma análise de custo, tempo e conforto de moradias rurais. Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental, 24, 622-629.

CONCLUSIONS

It remained to conclude where are the best and worst places to produce.

Did you miss a conclusion about commercial production in states with a hot climate, and is there production with adiabatic cooling as is done with Chickens?

And thinking about optimization and sustainability, what do you conclude?

REFERENCES

Did you not cite journals from the MDPI group? How do you expect this article to fit within the scope of this journal if you don't have any citations for it?

Comments on the Quality of English Language

LANGUAGE ALREADY CORRECTED (page – corrected text)

30 regions of Brazil, with 17 million

31 Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics

34 and subtropical climate, were

39 is necesarry,

40 high air temperatures and

42 that they demand ideal

43 circulation [7; 8], and air cooling

43 that become

45 for the quails.

46 realized about

47 on the housing system and the management systems adopted

54 free access

54 – 56 The terms used in the research were quails, ambience for quails, Japanese quails and quail breeding.

57 was made to analyze

64 ornamental quail farms; and those

85 (3,000 to 10,000 quail), and large

86 of animals during the videos.

102 On what

103category; and ? is the total number

113 collection of eggs and excrement

118 both in battery mode

119 cages, which provide

121 only in the size of cages in pyramidal

122 When the cages were fixed

147 (33%). Or

166 Just mind me

181 excret falls to the floor

183 is held

192 both in battery mode

241 As noted in

332 efficiency in the external and internal part of the quail shed,

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript was updated with the reviewers' recommendations.

Due to the importance of contributing to the production of quail eggs, I recommend accepting this study for publication in the AgriEngineering.

Author Response

October 19, 2023

Dear Editor and Reviewers,

The changes requested by the reviewers have been made, such as adding a new explanatory figure, adding paragraphs and important information in all sections of the manuscript, and making the conclusion clearer and more detailed. Finally, the article has been reviewed by a company specializing in the translation and review of scientific articles. H&J Editing Services hereby certifies that the manuscript entitled “Thermal Conditions of Laying Quail Sheds in Brazil,” written by Evandro Menezes de Oliveira as the first author, has undergone a thorough editing process by a technical editor and a native English-speaking editor.

Thank you for your comments, which have made our article more complete and clearer for the readers.

Sincerely yours,

Sheila Tavares Nascimento

State University of Maringá, Department of Animal Science, Maringá, PR, Brazil.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf