Nutrient Digestibility Coefficients and Carcass Evaluation of Japanese Quails to Aqueous Administration of Egg Lime Molasses Mixture

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Department of Agriculture and Industrial Technology, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.

2 Department of Agriculture and Industrial Technology, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo

3 Department of Animal Production Fisheries and Aquaculture, Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State, Nigeria

4 Department of Agriculture and Industrial Technology, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Japanese quails are cheap and easy to maintain and the outmost performance of the birds is highly dependent on the efficiency of nutrients’ utilization. The study was aimed at determining the effect of the administration of egg-lime-molasses mixture (ELM) on nutrient utilization and carcass parameters of Japanese quails. The study was conducted at the poultry unit of Babcock University farm house, Ilishan- Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria from January to March, 2022. Ilishan-Remo is in the rain forest zone of Nigeria with an annual rainfall of about 1500mm, having a mean temperature of 27oC. ELM was prepared by placing fresh chicken eggs in a bowl after which 1 liter of lime juice and 500g of molasses were added and left for 10 days at temperature of 27oC and relative humidity of 61%.Two hundred day old Japanese quails were assigned to five treatments with forty birds in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The birds were subdivided into 4 replicates. The control (T1) having no administration of ELM, T2, T3, T4 and T5 had inclusion levels of 10ml, 20ml, 30ml and 40ml respectively, all into 500ml of water. Feed and water were offered ad libitum. Data were collected on performance characteristics, apparent digestibility coefficients and carcass parameters and subjected to descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance using SPSS Version 22. The findings revealed that the administration of ELM did not significantly affect (p>0.05) performance and carcass parameters. The values for digestible crude protein was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the control (62.99%). Birds administered the least dosages of ELM (10ml per 500ml of drinking water) had significantly highest (P<0.05) values for digestible lipids (55.50%) and digestible ash (23.41%). Birds administered 20ml ELM/500ml of drinking water had significantly least (P<0.05) values for digestible lipids (25.50%) and digestible ash (2.58%) while significantly highest (P<0.05) values were observed for the same group of birds for digestible crude fiber (41.05%) and digestible carbohydrates (38.79%). The inclusion of ELM in water of Japanese quails did not alter growth performance and carcass parameters but administration of 20ml per 500ml of drinking water will be most appropriate for effective energy digestibility.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 September 2024

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics