EFFECTS OF VARYING DIETARY ENERGY AND PROTEIN ON EGG QUALITY PARAMETERS OF QUAILS

Abstract

The aim of this study is to seek the effect of dietary energy and protein on the egg qualities. A total of four hundred and eighty day old un-sexed Japanese quails of about the same weight (26.56±0.02) were studied over a period of 12 weeks. After hatching, chicks were raised together during one week and fed with starting diet then divided into four dietary treatments (T1, T2, T3 and T4) with 30 quails in each replicate. Each treatment was replicated four times. T1: Control (Standard diet)SD; T2: High Energy Low Protein diet (HELP) ; T3 : High Energy High Protein diet (HEHP) andT4 : Low Energy High Protein diet (LEHP) in a completely randomized design. After 12 weeks of laying, eggs were collected from each treatment for both the external and internal egg characteristics. Data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA at α0.05. Egg weight was higher (P<0.001) in the HEHP diet, egg height was also higher (P<0.05) in HEHP diet as well. Internal egg qualities, albumin height and albumen length had a significant influence (P< 0.05) in the HEHP diet.The albumen volume and the Yolk weight had the highest level of significance (P<0.001) in the HEHP diet. The shell weight was significant (P<0.001) with the HEHP diet having the highest values. There was also significance (P< 0.001) in the shell membrane and shell percent (P< 0.01) in the LEHP diet. The haugh unit are not significant in all the diets (P>0.05) but HEHP had the highest % of haugh unit.The results indicate that high energy and high protein (HEHP) diets is suitable for optimum performance of Japanese quail in terms of weight gain and egg quality.