Abstract
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of mannan-oligosaccharides’ (MOS) supplementation on hatching characteristics of four close-bred flocks (CBFs) of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) breeders. A total of 960 Japanese quail breeders, aged 12 weeks old, were randomly selected and divided into four groups (n = 240) with twelve replicates (n = 20) in a completely randomized design (15 ♂ : 5 ♀). The birds were a fed corn-based basal diet (group D) or basal diet supplemented with MOS at the levels of 0.25 % (group A), 0.5 % (group B) and 1.0 % (group C) for 15 weeks. The collected data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA techniques using Statistical Analysis System. The fertility and hatchability of 0.50 % MOS-supplemented group was significantly higher than other treatment groups. Similarly, fertility and hatchability percent of fertile eggs of Kaleem flock was significantly higher than other flocks, while dead in-shells were significantly lower in Sadat flock. Conclusively, MOS supplementation positively influences the fertility and hatchability of quail breeders. Keywords : Fertility, hatchability, Japanese quail breeders, mannan-oligosaccharides, poultry biotechnology
Highlights
The application of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in animal feeds has been banned by the European Union in 2006, as it caused side effects like antibiotic resistance and drug residues in meat (Verdonk et al, 2005)
The effects of MOS supplementation on hatching traits (dead germ percent, dead in-shell percent, infertile egg percent and hatchability percent in four close-bred flocks (CBFs) of Japanese quail breeders (Major, Kaleem, Sadat, Zahid) recorded during the study are presented in Tables 2 & 3
Our results indicated that dead germ percent was not affected by MOS supplementation in treatment groups, CBFs and in interactions between CBFs and MOS levels
Summary
The application of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in animal feeds has been banned by the European Union in 2006, as it caused side effects like antibiotic resistance and drug residues in meat (Verdonk et al, 2005). Prebiotics are food constituents that are not assimilated by host enzymes and influence host performance by increasing the development of some useful microbes of the gut (Gibson et al, 2004). They are the source of energy for the beneficial bacterial flora inhabiting the intestine like Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria spp. They induce enhancement of beneficial bacterial populations of the gut by reducing pathogenic bacterial loads (Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella and Escherichia coli) (Lopes et al, 2013; Samanta et al, 2013; de Paiva et al, 2015)
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