PRODUCTION TRAITS OF JAPANESE QUAIL LAYERS ON ENZYME SUPPLEMENTED COPRA MEAL BASED DIET
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Date
2011
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES-MANNUTHY,THRISSUR
Abstract
An experiment was carried out to study the production performance of Japanese
quail layers fed copra meal based diet supplemented with enzymes. Two hundred and
fourty female quails were selected randomly at six weeks of age, divided into five
treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) with four replicates of twelve quails in each.
Dietary group T1 was given a standard quail layer ration. Dietary group T2 was given
a diet containing 15 per cent coprameal (CM). The remaining dietary groups T3, T4
and T5 were provided with a diet containing CM supplemented with 250, 500 and 750
mg per 100 kg feed. All the rations were prepared with 22 per cent crude protein and
2650 kcal ME per kg. Standard managemental conditions were maintained
throughout the experiment.
Data collection was done for a period of 28 days each from 7 to 26 weeks of
age. At the end of the trial, blood was collected from four birds per replicate and was
utilized for serum profile studies.
The body weight of quails at 6 and 26 weeks of age did not differ significantly
among dietary treatments. Age at sexual maturity, 10 per cent production and 50 per
cent production were not influenced by dietary inclusion of CM with or without
enzyme supplementation. The results obtained in the study revealed that period wise
and cumulative mean values of production traits such as egg production, feed
consumption, FCR and egg weight during the period 7 to 26 weeks of age did not
differ significantly among treatment groups. Perusal of the mean egg weight indicated
that all the dietary groups fed copra added diet have numerically higher egg weight.
Statistical analysis of the data pertaining to egg quality parameters such as specific
gravity, shape index, albumen index, yolk index, internal quality and shell thickness
did not differ significantly.
Serum cholesterol values among different dietary treatment groups were
statistically comparable. However, total serum protein was significantly lower
(p≤0.05) for the groups fed diet containing copra meal supplemented with enzymes. It
was significantly higher for the group fed a diet devoid of copra meal. The overall
livability per cent during experimental period was not affected due to inclusion of
CM. The margin of return over feed cost per quail housed were 30.68, 29.15, 28.02,
27.66 and 26.23 rupees in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively.
The critical evaluation of the results revealed that altering the quail layer diet
with inclusion of 15 per cent CM with or without supplementation of multi enzyme
preparation did not adversely affect any production parameters and egg quality traits
of Japanese quails from 7 to 26 weeks of age. Addition of enzymes did not result any
significant improvement in the production performance of Japanese quails. From the
above findings, it can be inferred that CM can be safely added in layer quail ration up
to 15 per cent level as protein feed supplement.
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