Effect of Dietary Licorice Supplementation on Performance of Growing Japanese Quail Reared in High Stocking Density

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of dietary levels of licorice on quail performance stocked under high stocking density. A total number 255 one week old unsexed quail were randomly distributed into six groups. Chicks 1 were fed on a basal diet without licorice and reared at normal stoking density (10 birds/ replicate). The chicks of groups 2,3,4,5 and 6 distributed to be in high stocking density (15 birds/ replicate) and fed on basal diet supplemented with licorice at levels of 0.0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 g/kg diet, respectively. Addition of 0.9g licorice/kg diet to quail reared in HD increased LBW and BWG at wk 3 and 6. The quail chicks housed at HD without or with dietary supplementation at 0.3 g/kg presented higher values (p<0.05) of plasma TC, TG, LDL and lower plasma HDL and VLDL values. IgA and IgM levels were higher (p<0.01) in the quail chicks kept under HD treated with 0.9 g licorice /kg diet. Plasma SOD was higher (p<0.05) in the experimental group housed under HD treated with 0.6 g licorice/kg diet comparatively with other experimental groups. There were no significant differences in digestive enzymes, total yeasts, molds count and enterococcus SPP. In conclusion, increasing stocking density of growing Japanese quail from 10 to 15 negatively affect their performance. But, supplementing diets with licorice could reduce these negative effects and improve the performance at high stocking density.