Meat productivity of quails depending on keeping and feeding conditions when using a feed additive

Abstract

This publication presents the results of studying the influence of the method of keeping Texas quails and feeding with the use of a feed additive in their diet, which is an autolysate of the biomass of the fungal culture Cephaliophora tropica, saturated with useful trace elements and amino acids, on economic and productive indicators of poultry. The conducted research work has shown that the cultivation of Texas quails with the use of mushroom autolysate in their diet is effective, but the highest economic and productive indicators were revealed when keeping poultry in the outdoor way. Thus, when analyzing the viability of poultry, it was found that the studied indicator was 94.0 %, the live weight of quails at the end of the studies exceeded similar groups of birds by 4.4 %, the increase, on average, was 394.53 g, which is 4.5 % higher, while reducing feed costs by 1.0 kg, an increase of 3.7 %. When assessing meat productivity, there was also a positive dynamics from the method of feeding and maintenance, which was expressed in an increase in the slaughter index by 1.9 %, the mass of the pectoral muscles by 3.4 %, the mass of the leg muscles by 7.0 %, and all muscles in general by 6.5 %.