Effect of diets containing raw and processed pigeon pea seed meal on external and internal egg quality characteristics of laying quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica ) Ke

Abstract

Three hundred and sixty, sixweek old Japanese quail hens (Coturnix coturnix japonica)were used to evaluate the effect of processed pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seed meal (PPSM) on egg quality characteristics of laying birds. The processingmethodswere soaking (24, 48 and 72 hours), fermentation (72 hours), boiling (60minutes) and roasting (30minutes). The birds were divided into eight groups of 45 per treatment each replicated three times with 15 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. The birds were raised in cages measuring 75cm × 75cm × 60cm. Eight experimental diets were formulated containing processed PPSM at 30 % of diet representing T1 (control), T2 (raw PPSM), T3 (soaked PPSM for 24 hours), T4 (soaked PPSMfor 48 hours), T5 (soaked PPSMfor 72 hours), T6 (soaked PPSM for 24 hours and fermented for 72 hours), T7 (boiling for 60minutes) and T8 (roasted PPSM for 30 minutes) respectively. The experiment lasted for 20 weeks. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The results showed that processed PPSM had no significant (P>0.05) effect on eggweight, egg height, egg diameter, egg shape index, egg shell thickness aswell as albumen height, albumen diameter, albumen weight, yolk diameter, yolk weight, yolk index and haugh unit across the dietary treatments. It is concluded that raw and processed PPSM had no significant (P>0.05) effect on the egg quality characteristics of laying quails. In addition, inclusion of raw PPSM in quail diets posed no threat to the health status of the birds.