THE EFFECTS OF REPLACING MAIZE WITH BAKERY WASTE MEAL ON THE PERFORMANCE OF GROWING JAPANESE QUAILS (COTURNIX COTURNIX JAPONICA)

Abstract

A feeding trial of 6 weeks duration was conducted to determine the effect of replacing maize with bakery waste on the performance of growing Japanese quails. Two hundred two —week old quails of mixed sexes were randomly allocated to five diets in a completely randomized design. Five isonitrogenous diets contained 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of bakery waste at the expense of maize. The diets, however, varied in energy levels from 2,706.92 (Diet A) to 2,610.76kcal/kg ME (Diet E). Diets B (2,679.17), C (2,650.57) and D (2,623.75) were lower than diet A. Each diet was replicated three times. Feed intake (21.99, 20.34, 21.25, 23.83 and 22.97g/bird/day), weight gain (3,39, 3.29, 3.46, 3.61, 3.75g/bird/day) and feed conversion ratio (6.32, 6.17, 6.16, 6.62 and 6.31) did not differ significantly from the control. Water intake was significantly higher (p<0.05) on diet D (33. 78ml/b/day) than on diets A (30.90) and B (30.99) only. Water intake on diets C (31.89) and E (32.91ml/bird/day) were not different. Feed cost/kg gain was significantly higher (p<0.05) for birds on diets B (632.00) and A (617.67) than on diets C (542.33) and D (550.67) only. Other differences were not significant. Feed cost per kg diet decreased from 84.62 (diet A) to 78.75 (diet E) and has a cost saving of 6.94% over the control diet. Therefore, bakery waste could completely replace 100% of maize in the diets for Japanese quail chicks without adverse effect on performance