Response of Japanese quail chicks (Cortunix cortunix japonica) to various dietary energy levels in a tropical environment

Abstract

A total of one thousand and eighty (1080) unsexed day-old quail chicks with an average initial weight of 7.68±0.39g were used in a feeding trial to determine the growth response of quail chicks fed iso-nitrogenous rations to various dietary energy levels in Nigerian (tropical) environment. Six iso-nitrogenous (26% CP) diets containing 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900 and 3000 Kcal/kg ME were used in a complete randomized design, respectively for the study. The birds were fed feed and water ad libitum for 6 weeks at the end of which 10 birds from each replicate were randomly selected for carcass analysis. There were significant (P<0.05) differences in the final live weight, weight gain, cost per gain and age at 1 egg across dietary treatments. Feed, intake decreased non-significantly (P>0.05) as the level of energy increased in the diets. Total protein, Haemoglobin, packed cell volume, red blood cell and white blood cell were non significantly (P>0.05) affected by dietary treatments and were within the normal range for quails. The cholesterol level however, increased non-significantly (P>0.05) as the level of dietary energy increased. Except for the carcass weight and abdominal fat, the carcass parameters were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. It was concluded that a dietary energy level of 2800 Kcal/kg ME, will be adequate for optimum performance of quail chicks under the condition of this experiment