Effects of feeding varying levels of bakery waste meal on the performance and carcass values of growing Coturnix quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

Since bakeries are scattered all over Nigeria and beyond, such feed materials like bakery waste abound and this can be tapped as a feed resource for poultry having little pressure of competition. A feeding trial of 6 weeks duration was conducted to determine the effect of replacing maize with bakery waste of CP; 3.32% and ME; 3221.88kcal/kg on the performance of growing Japanese quails.Two hundred two –week old quails of mixed sexes were randomly allocated to five diets in a completely randomized design. The five isonitrogenous (25% CP) diets incorporated 0, 8.31, 16.61, 24.92 and 28.69% of bakery waste at the expense of maize. The diets, however, varied in energy levels from 2,706.92 (Diet A) to 2,610.76kcal/kg ME (Diet E). Diets B (2,679.17), C (2,650.57) and D (2,623.75) were lower than diet A. Each diet was replicated three times. Feed intake (21.99, 20.34, 21.25, 23.83 and 22.97g/bird/day), weight gain (3.39, 3.29, 3.46, 3.61, 3.75g/bird/day) and feed conversion ratio (6.32, 6.17, 6.16, 6.62 and 6.31) did not differ significantly from the control. Water intake was significantly higher (p<0.05) on diet D (33.78ml/b/day) than on diets A (30.90) and B (30.99) only. Water intake on diets C (31.89) and E (32.91ml/bird/day) were not different. Feed cost/kg gain was significantly higher (p<0.05) for birds on dietsB (632.00) and A (617.67) than on diets C (542.33) and D (550.67) only. Other differences were not significant. Live weight, slaughter weight, plucked weight and drumstick were better on the diet with 100% bakery waste. Feed cost per kg diet decreased from 84.62 (diet A) to 78.75 (diet E) and has a cost saving of 6.94% over the control diet. Therefore, bakery waste could completely replace maize in diets for Japanese quail chicks without adverse effect on performance.