Abstract
Green tea leaves contain a wide range of active bio-compounds that are essential for sustainable quail intensification; however, its feed value is not known for the Jumbo quail. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of different levels of green tea leaf powder (GTLP) on physiological and meat quality parameters of the Jumbo quail. One-week-old chicks (n = 350; 56.1 ± 2.12 g live-weight) were evenly distributed to 35 replicate pens and reared on five experimental diets formulated as follows: a standard grower diet with zinc-bacitracin (PosCon), a standard grower diet without zinc-bacitracin (NegCon), and NegCon diet treated with 10 (GT10), 25 (GT25) and 50 g/kg (GT50) of GTLP. Weight gain linearly decreased in week 2 but increased in week 4, whereas feed conversion efficiency linearly declined in weeks 2 and 3 as GTLP levels increased. Overall feed intake, carcass yield, and caecum and colon weights showed a linear increase with GTLP levels. Hematological parameters fell within the normal ranges reported for healthy quail. The GT10 group showed larger liver weights than the PosCon and NegCon groups. It was concluded that dietary inclusion of GTLP enhances overall feed intake and carcass performance but not feed efficiency, hematological and meat quality parameters of Jumbo quail.
Highlights
Sustainable intensification of quail (Coturnix coturnix) birds could be an alternative vehicle through which the poultry industry can continue to contribute immensely to global food and nutrition security
There were significant dietary effects on overall feed intake, where quail birds reared on diet GT50 (839.5 g/bird) had the highest overall feed intake, compared to those reared on diets NegCon and GT10, which were statistically similar
1 Experimental diets: PosCon = a standard grower diet with zinc-bacitracin; NegCon = a standard grower diet without zinc-bacitracin; GT10 = NegCon diet treated with 10 g/kg of green tea leaf powder; GT25 = NegCon diet treated with 25 g/kg of green tea leaf powder; GT50 = NegCon diet treated with 50 g/kg of green tea leaf powder
Summary
Sustainable intensification of quail (Coturnix coturnix) birds could be an alternative vehicle through which the poultry industry can continue to contribute immensely to global food and nutrition security. Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) for meat production [2]. This bird is the fastestgrowing and largest of all quail birds, weighing between 250 g and 300 g at six weeks of age [3]. Quail birds have inherent immunity and strong resistance against several poultry diseases [4], which allows limited use of in-feed antibiotic growth promoters (AGP). The commercial game-bird diet recommended for optimum quail production is expensive and not accessible. Farmers resort to the use of commercial chicken diets that contain AGP such as zinc-bacitracin, a mixture of high molecular weight polypeptides (bacitracin A, B and C and several minor components) [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
