EFFECT OF FEEDING WHOLE OR GROUND PEARL MILLET (Pennisetum glaucum) WITH OR WITHOUT ENZYME SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE NUTRIENTS' DIGESTIBILITY OF JAPANESE QUAILS (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate effect of pearl millet inclusion level, pearl millet form and enzyme supplementation of pearl millet as replacement for maize on the nutrients' digestibility of Japanese quails using 3 quails per treatment (1 quail per replicate). The quails were fasted for 24hrs and then fed for fecal collection. The faeces collected were sun dried, bulked and samples were collected for proximate analysis. Feeding whole pearl millet increased the digestibility of crude protein, ether extract and ash by laying Japanese quails. Pearl millet inclusion increased crude protein digestibility. Enzyme supplementation in pearl millet based diets did not improve their nutrient's digestibility. The results of this study showed that grinding of pearl millet or its supplementation with enzyme did not improve nutrients' digestibility of Japanese quails.