EFFECT OF SOYBEAN, SORGHUM AND TIGER NUT OFFAL COMPOUNDED WITH SHEEP BONE MEAL ON JAPANESE QUAIL PERFORMANCE

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted with one hundred and thirty-two Japanese quails at 5 weeks old, to determine the influence of soybean offal, sorghum offal and tiger nut offal compounded with sheep bone meal, on feed intake, sexual maturity and mortality. The experimental diets were designated as T1: Commercial feed (Control), T2 (50% soybean offal and 50% sheep bone meal), T3 (50% sorghum offal and 50% sheep bone meal) and T4 (50% tiger nut offal and 50% sheep bone meal). The birds were weighed and randomly grouped into four experimental treatments, based on weight with three
replicates of 11 birds per treatment, in a completely randomized design. The birds were offered the experimental diets with clean drinking water ad libitum for 5 weeks. Data collected were proximate compositions of the sheep bone and experimental feeds as well as feed intake, age at first egg drop and mortality. It was observed that the sheep bone contained 17.5% crude protein, 47.7% ash and 9.4% crude fibre. While T1 feed contained 13.13% crude protein, T2, T3 and T4 had 24.06%, 21.69% and 20.94%, respectively. The weekly feed intake was higher (104.78g) in T1, compared to 92.78g,
72.89g and 55.18g recorded in T2, T3 and T4, in that order. While the hens in T1 started laying at 6 weeks old, the treated birds did not lay eggs at all throughout the experimental period. There was mortality among the hens in T2 (0.73), T3 (0.76) and T4 (0.91) yet, no single death was recorded in T1 (0.0). Consequently, combination of soybean, sorghum and tiger nut offal with sheep bone at 50:50 weight for weight ratio, may be deleterious to Japanese quail hens. However, since this trial is at the preliminary phase, detailed investigation may be required.