SUMMARY
Crambe meal is a residue that has been studied as an alternative protein source to soybean meal. The experiment was conducted with the objective of evaluating the inclusion of crambe meal in feed of meat type quails. We used 390 quails, distributed in a completely randomized design, with five treatments, six replicates of 13 birds per plot. The experimental phases were: initial (8 to 21 days), growth (22 to 35 days) and total (8 to 35 days of age). Treatments consisted of a control diet without the crambe meal and the others by the inclusion of the crambe meal protein in replacement of soybean meal protein at the levels of 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12%. Feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion were evaluated. Carcass yield, cuts and economic profitability analysis were evaluated at 35 days of age. There was no significant difference in the performance of quails fed with diets in which crambe meal was included for all phases evaluate. Similarly, in relation to the carcass traits no effect of crambe meal inclusion in the diets. Therefore, the inclusion of crambe meal in diet of quails up to 12% of the protein level is recommended as it does not negatively influence poultry performance. For the study of the economic profitability analysis, the treatment that presented the best index was the 6% of the inclusion of the crambe meal protein.
Keywords:
alternative food; crude protein; economic analised