GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS TRAITS OF JAPANESE QUAIL AS AFFECTED BY DIETARY HIGH DIETARY VITAMIN A AND D3 SUPPLEMENTATION DOSES.

Abstract

total number of one hundred eighty unsexed seven-days-old quails were used in present study in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (2 levels of vitamin A, 0 and 40,000 IU/kg feed) and three levels of vitamin D3 (0, 1500 and 3000 ICU/kg feed). Chicks were randomly divided into six equal treatments of three replicates of ten quails each. Results showed that vitamin A affects significantly (P<0.05) on body weight (BW) at 28 and 35days of age. The highest level of vitamin A (40,000 IU) achieved an increase in BW. Also, vitamin D affects significantly (P<0.05) BW at 42 days of age. The highest levels of both vitamin A and D3(40,000 IU vitamin A and 3000 ICU vitamin D3) in treatment 6 achieved the heights BW compared to control treatment. Vitamin A affects significantly (P<0.05) body weight gain (BWG) during the period from 7-28 and 7-42days of age. The highest level of vitamin A (40,000 IU) achieved an increase in BWG. However, vitamin D affects significantly (P<0.05) on BWG during the period from 7-42 days of age. Vitamin A affects significantly (P<0.05) on feed consumption during (14-21), (21-28), (28-35), and (35-42) days of age. Vitamin A affect significantly (P<0.05) on feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the period from 7-35 and 7-42 days of age. Vitamin D3 affects significant (P>0.05) on FCR during the period from 7-14, 721 ,7-28 ,7-35, and 7-42 days of age. The highest levels of both vitamin A and D3(40,000 IU vitamin A and 3000 ICU of vitamin D3/kg) achieved the best values of both BW and BWG compared to control group. Vitamin A didn't affect significantly on carcass characteristics, but vitamin D3 affects significantly on gizzard weight and the highest levels of vitamin D3 (1500 and 3000 ICU /kg feed) achieved a decrease in gizzard weight. Also, the level of 3000 ICU achieved increase in carcass constituents.It can be concluded that the level of 40000 IU vitamin A/kg achieved the highest values of both body weight and body weight gain. The addition of 3000 ICU of vitamin D3/kg feed improved FCR. Therefore, the results of this study show the improvement of growth performance and carcass traits in Japanese quail, especially at the level of 40000 IU vitamin A/kg or 3000 IU/kg of vitamin D3/kg.