EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF JAPANESE QUAIL (Cortunix cortunix japonica) FED GRADED LEVELS OF DRIED SWEET ORANGE PEEL MEAL (Citrus sinensis)

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluating the growth performance Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed graded levels of dried sweet orange peel meal. A total of one hundred and eighty (180) birds were used for this study. A total of six experimental diets was formulated with inclusion levels of DSOPM at 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% and 12.5% respectively. Data was collected on feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Data collected on performance parameters was subjected to
analysis of variance and means was considered different at P < 0.05. The revealed that there was no significant (P > 0.05) difference in the mean initial body weight but in parameters such as the mean final body weight, mean body weight gain and feed conversion ratio, the result revealed significant (P < 0.05) difference and this was also observed for feed intake of quail birds fed the experimental diets. The study concluded that the performance of birds on inclusion diets of 0.5% - 10% Dried
Sweet Orange Peel Meal (DSOPM) was similar but lower, compared with the higher values in the control diet. The study recommends that 10 – 15% inclusion may be considered since adult unsexed quails fed with the diets had an average weight which fell within the recommended average weight of adult quails (100-160g)