Effect of Different Chromium Picolinate Levels as Feed Additives on Quail Meat Characteristics

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of different chromium picolinate levels as food supplementation and sex on Japanese quail meat characteristics. Ninety Japanese quail chicks with one day of age were reared in 340C temperature and continuously feed and water providing at the Faculty of Agriculture , University of Diyala animals’ field, vitamins were provided with water and temperature were monitored continuously. Birds were allocated for three treatments with convergent of weight average when reached the age of 14 days, each treatment contain three replicates and ten birds for each replicate, each replicate birds were rearing in cage with 50×50×50cm for four weeks (until 42 day of age), all treatments birds were provide with free same ration and chromium was added to the treatments ration as follows: control treatment: without chromium, treatment one (T1) adding 250μg (0.25mlg) chromium picolinate/kg ration, treatment two (T2) adding 500μg (0.5mlg) chromium picolinate/kg ration. After the period of the experiment finished, six birds were selected randomly from each treatment (three from each sex) and weighted then slaughtered, many measurements were taken from meat and carcasses, including hot and cold carcass weight, dressing percentage, carcass cuts weight, breast and leg cooking loss, thawing loss and meat chemical composition. Statistical analyses show that no clear effect of supplementation on these measurements and no real benefits from adding it with quail ration in this ratio and this experiment conditions and traits. It might be concluded that the chromium presented normally in ration and water was adequate to normal quail requirement and chromium supplementation may not be essential. Higher chromium ratio should be tested.