The Effect of Different Levels of Lentil by Product on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits and Egg Yield in Quail (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica)

ABSTRACT

The subject of this study was to evaluate the effects of lentil byproduct (LP) on growth performance, carcass traits and egg yield of quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica). To achieve this goal, a total of 600 0-day-old quail chicks were used. The birds were divided into 5 groups with 3 replicates. The 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th groups received 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% lentil byproduct, respectively. All the diets were prepared as isonitrogenous and isocaloric. As a result of this study, the highest live body weights of quails as Laudadio mixed gender were observed in the 3^rd (195.5 g) and 5^th (195.3 g) groups at the end of the study, however the differences between the control and treatment groups were not significant (p>0.05). Similar results were observed in the carcass traits, as well. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was noted in both the 2^nd and 3^rd groups as 3.04 and it was significantly (p<0.05) different than in the control and other treatment groups. The least feed intake (FI) was observed in the 2^nd group. The highest and the lowest egg yield percentages were in the 3^rd (90.78 %) and 5^th (66.57 %) groups, and differences were significant (p<0.01). Linear increments were observed in the yolk color when LP increased in the diet. As a result, it could be concluded that lentil by product could be added into quail diets up to 15% with no negative effect on live body weight (BW) and carcass traits and to get better yolk color.

Keywords:
Carcass; egg production; fattening; lentil byproduct; quail; yolk color