Growth and Laying Performance of Quail Under Single Phase Feeding Fortified with Calcium and Phosphorus in a Guinea Savannah Zone of Nigeria

Abstract

In an experiment to evaluate the growth and laying performance of quails fed single phase diets fortified with calcium and phosphorus, a total of one hundred and eighty two weeks old Japanese quail chicks were randomly divided into five treatments of 36 quail chicks per treatment. Each treatment was replicated thrice.Treatment1 for both the growing and laying phases was the control diets while the remaining four diets (T2-T5) for each of the phases were the single phase diets. The control diets for both phases were formulated to contain 26 %and 22% CP, and 2800 and 2750kcal/kg ME for growing and laying respectively. The four single phase diets had 20, 22, 24 and 26 % CP, and 2800, 3000, 3200 and 3400kcal/kg ME, respectively for both phases. Completely randomized design was used for the experiment. Feed and water were served ad libitum. The parameters measured were growth (body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio), and laying (hen-day and hen-house production, feed intake and feed conversion ratio). The results showed that average body weight gain of quails fed the control diet was similar (p>0.05) to those fed diets containing 22% CP and 3000kcal/kg ME, and those fed 24% CP and 3200kcal/kg ME. Daily feed intake of the quails fed the control diet was also similar (p>0.05) to quails fed diets containing 22 and 24% CP, and 3000, 3200kcal/kg ME. Hen-day and hen-house production results showed that quails fed the control diet was similar (p>0.05) to those fed diets containing 22 and 24% CP and 3000, 3200kcal/kg ME. The results of the study indicated that feeding diet containing 26% CP and 3400kcal/kg MEled to below optimum growth and egg laying performance of Japanese quails.