UTILISATION OF DRIED CUTTLE FISH (Sepia officialis) WASTE SILAGE IN JAPANESE QUAIL (Coturnix coturnlx japonica) LAYER RATION
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Date
2005
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES-MANNUTHY,THRISSUR
Abstract
An experiment was conducted in Japanese quail layers from six to 26
weeks of age by replacing unsalted dried fish with cuttle fish waste silage on
crude protein basis. Th; objective was to assess the production performance as
well as the economics of feed cost, over production. Two hundred and forty
Japanese quail pullets of six weeks age were divided randomly into twelve
groups of 20 birds each. They were randomly allotted into three treatment
groups, Tl, T2 and T3 and maintained on isonitrogenous and isocaloric diet. The
unsalted dried fish content in the control ration (Tl) was replaced by cuttle fish
waste silage at 50 and 100 per cent levels in T2 and T3, respectively. The initial
and final body weight were recorded. Data collection was done for five periods
of twenty eight days each from seven to twenty six weeks. At the end of the trial
pooled yolk samples and two liver samples from each replicate were analysed for
fatty acid profile.
The initial and final body weight and the body weight gain during
experimental period for different dietary treatments did not differ significantly.
The birds belonged to group T2 attained sexual maturity first followed by the
control group Tl. There was a slight delay for group T3 in attaining sexual
maturity (P<0.01). The age at 10 and 50 per cent production did not differ
significantly between treatments. The period wise mean daily feed consumption
was lower in T3 than Tl and T2 (P<0.01). The mean feed intake was highest in
Tl followed by T2 and T3 and the treatments differed significantly (P<0.05).
The cumulative feed conversion efficiency was superior inTl and T2 (P<0.01)
than T3. The cumulative hen housed and hen day egg number of Tl and T2 were
significantly higher (p<0.01) than T3. Though the per cent hen housed and hen
day egg production of birds in treatments Tl and T2 were significantly higher in
all the periods, the overall mean values did not show any significant difference.
The egg quality traits recorded viz., shape index, albumen index, yolk index,
internal quality unit and shell thickness did not differ significantly between
trcatmems in any of the periods (P>0.05). The oleic acid content of quail liver
was significantly higher in '13 than T1 but no significant difference was noticed
among the egg yolk fatty acids, 'fhe cost of feed per egg was lowest in T2
followed by 'f 1 and 'f3.
Overall evaluation of the study reveals that the cuttle fish waste silage
could be used economically to replace 50 per cent of crude protein from unsalted
dried fish on protein basis in Japanese quail layer rations, without any adverse
effect on growth, production and egg quality and feed cost.
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