Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Abstract
In order to study the impact of different levels of dietary metabolizable energy and crude protein on performance and nitrogen and energy metabolism of Japanese quail during growth period, 360 day-old Japanese quails were used in a 3×3 factorial experiment with three levels of metabolizable energy (2750, 2850 and 2950 Kcal/kg) and three levels of crude protein (24, 26 and 28 percent) in a completely randomized design with four replicates and 10 birds in each replicate. The feed intake and body weight gain were measured weekly and feed conversion ratio was calculated. The nitrogen intake, excretion and retention as gram per bird per day, percent of nitrogen intake and gram nitrogen per kilocalorie per metabolizable energy consumed and dietary apparent metabolizable energy content were measured during 26 to 28 days of age period. The results of this study showed that birds fed diet containing 2850 kcal/kg metabolizable energy and 26 percent crude protein had significantly (P< 0.05) higher daily weight gain and higher nitrogen retention per each unit of metabolizable energy consumed and better feed conversion ratio. According to the results of this experiment, it seems that the best growth rate, the maximum nitrogen retention and the best feed efficiency of growing Japanese quail are achieved by feeding diets containing 2850 kcal/kg metabolizable energy and 26 percent crude protein. Therefore, these values can be recommended as metabolizable energy and crude protein requirements of Japanese quail growing diet.
Keywords
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