Effect of garlic (Allium stivum) powder supplementation on growth performance and body measurements in Japanese quail

Abstract

Experiment was conducted at Avian Research and Training Centre UVAS Lahore in order to observe and identify the effect of different levels of garlic supplementation and a commercial growth promoter on Japanese quail. Four different levels of garlic powder (0.1% (GA), 0.2% (GB), 0.3% (GC) and 0.4% (GD)), 0.2% commercial growth promoter (GP) and a controlled (C) diet according to NRC standards (1994) were used in this experiment. Thirty six hundred day old chicks of Japanese quail were randomly divided into six experimental units having six replicate of each with hundred birds in each replicate. Analysis of data through ANOVA technique in completely randomized design and the comparison of mean with the help of Duncan’s Multiple Range Test by using SAS 9.1 revealed significant differences in terms of body weight with the highest value for group fed 0.4% Garlic and the lowest for 0.2% garlic. Significantly higher feed intake was observed in birds fed 0.2% garlic and the lowest for control group followed by 0.4% garlic supplemented. Significantly the best FCR was observed for GB (1.58 ± 0.03) followed by C (1.53 ± 0.02), GC (1.46 ± 0.04), GP (1.41 ± 0.05), GA (1.34 ± 0.03) and GD ( 1.32 ± 0.03) also significant differences were observed in drum stick length with the highest value for GD(4.95±0.18) and the lowest GP (4.05±0.30), and breast width with GB (3.38±0.23) having the highest value and the lowest in GP (2.65±0.19), while non-significant differences were observed in bird length (cm), keel length (cm), drumstick circumference, shank length (cm) and shank circumference.