Performance and economics of production of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed varying levels of peeled cooked sun-dried sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) meal diets

Abstract

A six–week feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effect of feeding peeled cooked sundried sweet potato tuber on growth parameters and economics of production of Japanese quails. Five isonitrogenous (25%CP) diets were compounded. The control diet (1) had no sweet potato tuber meal while 2, 3, 4 and 5 had maize replaced at 25, 50, 75 and 100% by peeled and cooked sundried sweet potato tuber meal respectively.. Three hundred day-old Japanese quails of mixed sexes were randomly assigned the diets in a completely randomized design with feed and water provided ad libitum for six weeks. Each diet was allocated to 60 quail chicks which were further divided into three replicates of 20 birds each. Feed intake was significantly (p< 0.05) lower for birds on diet 3 (14.05g/b/d) than for those on diets 4 (14.87g/b/d) and 5 (14.79g/b/d). Water intake was however significantly (p < 0.05) higher for birds on diet 4 (27.40ml/b/d) than for those on diets 1 (23.77ml/b/d), 2 (24.01ml/b/d) and 3 (24.66ml/b/d). Protein intake was significantly (p<0.05) higher for birds on diet 4 (3.72g/b/d) than for those on diets 1 (3.55g/b/d), 2 (3.54g/b/d) and 3 (3.51g/b/d). Energy efficiency ratio was significantly (p<0.05) better on diet 5 (0.29) than on diet 1 (0.24) only. However, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, feed cost/gain, energy intake and protein efficiency ratio did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from the control. Total cost of production per bird was significantly (p< 0.05) higher on diet 3 than on diets 4 and 5. Revenue per bird was significantly (p< 0.05) lower on diet 2 than on diets 1 and 4 only. Gross margin per bird was significantly (p<0.05) lower on diet 2 than on diets 1 and 3 only. Total feed intake and feed cost/kg gain were not affected by the diets (p>0.05) and diet 5 has a cost saving of 3.00% over the control diet. Results showed that peeled cooked sundried sweet potato can completely replace maize in the diet of quail chicks without adverse effects on performance or on economics of production of Japanese quails.