A completely randomized design with five treatments and six replicates of 15 quails per experimental unity was used to estimate crude protein requirements for European quails (Coturnix coturnix coturnix) during the periods 18-28, 28-42 and 42-56 days of age. The experimental diets were formulated with 18, 20, 22, 24, and 26% of crude protein and 2900kcal/kg EM/kg. The protein requirements during 18-28 days of age were respectively 25.7; 25.2 and 25.5% for weight gain, weight gain/feed intake ratio and for body weight. During the 28-42 period the crude protein requirement for body weight was 24.6%, but there was no effect of crude protein level on weight gain and weight gain/feed intake ratio. The effect of crude protein level on weight gain, weight gain/feed intake ratio and body weight during 42-56 period was not significant. The European quails Coturnix coturnix coturnix have lower protein level requirement for body weight during 28-42 days of age in comparison to 18-28 period. No reliable estimates of crude protein requirements were obtained for body weight, weight gain and weight gain/feed intake ratio after 28 days of age.
quail; nutritional requirement; crude protein
