Economic Evaluation of Magmeal for Quail Feed as a Remunerative Poultry Feed in India

Abstract

Background: Maggot meal, popularly magmeal is a core product consisting of dried defatted larvae that is ground into a high protein larvae meal. It is a potential alternative for fish replacement in the diet of quails. Methods: A study on 240 Japanese quail birds from day old to six week of age was conducted at Poultry Research Station, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai with magmeal supplementation during the year 2015-16. The birds were divided into four groups and each having with three replicates with 20 birds in each replicate. Group 1 (Control group) was fed basal diet (with 7% fish meal), group 2 was fed basal diet replacing 50% fish meal with magmeal, group 3 was fed basal diet replacing 75% fish meal with magmeal and group 4 was fed with Japanese quail basal diet replacing 100% fish meal with magmeal. Economic evaluation of magmeal at various levels of inclusion in Japanese quail diet was calculated. Result: There was a sizeable reduction in the cost of production in all the treatment groups when compared to control group. It is concluded that feed containing magmeal was found to be cost effective than the feed containing fishmeal for the Japanese quails.