The experiment one was carried out to determine apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and nitrogen-corrected ME (AMEn) of nine feedstuffs in Japanese quails. The objective of the experiment two was to compare diets formulated with AMEn of corn and soybean meal, usually fed to broilers and laying hens, with diets formulated with AMEn determined in growing (22 days of age) and adult quails (65 days of age). In the experiment one, 400 growing quails were fed a basal diet (BD) and nine test diets (70% BD + 30% feedstuffs test), with a total of ten diets with four replicates of ten birds each. In the experiment two, 160 European quails were randomized allotted to three treatments, with twelve replicates of five birds, and fed during three periods of fifteen days. The AME and AMEn values (kcal/kg) for vegetal feedstuffs were: 3,340 and 3,354 for corn, 2,718 and 2,456 for soybean meal, 3,453 and 3,084 for integral soybean extruded, 1,624 and 1,593 for wheat bran, 4,558 and 3,992 for corn gluten meal, 3,329 and 3,378 for cassava flour and 1,238 and 1,223 to integral mesquite pods meal. The animal feedstuffs had 2,874 and 2,453 for fish meal and 3,090 and 2,791 for poultry meal. The AMEn of corn and soybean meal estimated for quail did not improve feed intake, egg production, egg weight and feed egg mass ratio, supporting the validity of use of energy those ingredients obtained with broiler and laying hens for formulated quail diets.
alternative feedstuffs; metabolizable energy determination; quail
