Japanese Quail Chicks Research Articles

Plasma activated water effects on behavior, performance, carcass quality, biochemical changes, and histopathological alterations in quail

BackgroundPlasma-activated water (PAW) is an innovative promising technology which could be applied to improve poultry health. The current study investigated the effects of drinking water supply with PAW on quail behaviour, performance, biochemical parameters, carcass quality, intestinal microbial populations, and internal organs histopathology. A total of 54 twenty-one-day-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly allotted to three treatments provided with PAW at doses 0, 1 ml (PAW-1), and 2 ml (PAW-2) per one litter drinking water. Each treatment contained 6 replicates (3 birds/ cage; one male and two females).ResultsThe results clarified that there were no significant (P > 0.05) changes in behaviour, and performance. For the biochemical indicators, the PAW-1 group showed significantly higher serum H2O2, total protein and globulin levels compared with the other groups (P = 0.015, < 0.001, and 0.019; respectively). PAW groups had significantly lower serum creatinine and urea levels than the control (P = 0.003). For the carcass quality, the internal organs relative weight between different treatments was not changed. In contrast, there was a significant increase in the meat colour, taste, and overall acceptance scores in PAW groups compared with the control one (P = 0.013, 0.001, and < 0.001; respectively). For the intestinal microbial population, lactobacilli count was significantly higher in PAW-2 compared with the control group (P = 0.014), while there were no changes in the total bacterial count between different treatment groups. Moreover, mild histological changes were recorded in the intestine, liver, and spleen of PAW groups especially PAW-2 compared with the control one.ConclusionsPAW offered benefits, such as reducing creatine and urea levels, improving meat characteristics, and increasing lactobacilli count, all of which are crucial for sustainable quail farming. Therefore, further research is needed.

Ultrasonic registration of myopic changes in the eye of Japanese quail chicks raised under the different spectrum of everyday illumination

Abstract High-resolution ultrasound techniques are employed in ophthalmology for detecting age-related changes in the eyeball’s structure, diagnosing tumours and vascular conditions. Meanwhile, acoustic microscopy methods are widely used in laboratory animal research. Our experiments utilised a short ultrasonic pulse (30-80 MHz) and B/Z-scan mode with dynamic focusing. This study utilised these parameters to measure various ocular dimensions, including the longitudinal and transverse size of the eyeball, the thickness of the lens, and the scleral-cornea, vitreous and chorioretinal complex. The sample comprised individuals of varying ages, an adult bird (65 days), and chicks across four age stages (10, 23, 36, 45 days), all studied in situ. The method enabled observation of age-related alterations in ocular structures throughout the ontogenesis of the animal, illuminated daily using an incandescent lamp alongside yellow and blue light filters. The outcomes illustrate that the measurement technique’s sensitivity detects an anterior-posterior axis (APA) escalation of quail eyes with an error range of ±15 microns. The method’s sensitivity adequately analysed the impact of the spectral composition of everyday lighting on deviations in eye development.

The Effect of Diets Containing Different Amounts of Chasteberry Seed (Vitex Agnus Castus) On Performance, Carcass, Meat Quality and Stress Parameters of Japanese Quails

Aim of study: To investigate the effects of diets containing different amounts of chasteberry seeds (Vitex agnus- castus L.) on the growing performance, slaughter characteristics, breast meat quality characteristics and stress parameters of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Area of study: Çakmar, Aydın, Türkiye. Material and methods: A total of 240 one-day-old mixed-sex Japanese quail chicks (9.38 ± 0.02 g) were divided into three treatments with four replicates of 20 birds each in a completely randomized design. The groups were fed a control diet without chasteberry seeds (CS0), a diet containing 25 g/kg chasteberry seeds (CS25), and a diet containing 50 g/kg chasteberry seeds (CS50). The experiment lasted 35 days. Main results: Body weight, body weight gain, and feed intake of the CS50 group were found to be lower than the other groups on days 0-35 (p&lt;0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in carcass and internal organ weights (p&gt;0.05). Except for breast meat water holding capacity, lightness, redness, and hue angle characteristics in females, the effects of diets containing different chasteberry seeds on the meat quality characteristics of male and female quails were not significant (p&gt;0.05). CS25 and CS50 diets caused a statistically significant increase (p&lt;0.05) in glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase values and a statistically significant decrease (p&lt;0.05) in malondialdehyde values in male quail breast meat. Economically, although the lowest feed cost was obtained in the CS50 group, there was no difference in net profit between the groups. Research highlights: The addition of 25 g/kg chasteberry seeds in quail diets can be used easily without any negative effects. However, further studies are needed to determine the effects of different doses of chasteberry seeds on performance and meat quality.

Effects of immersing Japanese quail eggs in various doses of riboflavin on reproductive, growth performance traits, blood indices and economics

This investigation aimed to evaluate the impact of immersion (IM) riboflavin treatment on the hatchability, production efficiency, and carcass characteristics of Japanese quail eggs. A total of 260 eggs of Japanese quail birds were used for hatching and were randomly divided into 4 treatments with 5 replicates (13 eggs/replicate) in a fully randomized design. Hatching eggs were immersed in riboflavin for 2 min before incubation. The experiment treatments were designed as follows: G1 control group with no treatment, G2 treated with 3 g/L vit. B2 (IM), G3 treated with 4 g/L vit. B2 (IM) and G4 were treated with 5 g/L vit. B2 (IM). After hatching, 128 Japanese quail chicks, aged 7 d, were randomly grouped into 4 treatment groups, with 32 birds in each group. When quails were given vitamin B2 via immersion, they demonstrated significant enhancements in live body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio at different stages compared to the control group. Compared to control and other groups, the carcass parameters of Japanese quails given a 4 g/L immersion solution showed a significant improvement (P < 0.05). Hatchability and fertility (%) were considerably raised by Vit.B2 treatments of 3, 4, and 5g; the group immersed in 5 g/L had the highest percentages compared to the other groups. Furthermore, treated chickens with all concentrations of vitamin B2 had significantly higher blood indices than the controls. During the exploratory phase (1-6 wk) of age, the highest returns were reported in G4 treated with 5g/L vit. B2 (IM). Treating Japanese quail eggs with different dosages of vitamin B2 by immersion may be recommended to improve their productive and reproductive performance, blood indices, carcass traits, and economic efficiency.

Growth performance, carcass traits and meat physical characteristics of growing Japanese quail fed ginger powder and frankincense oil as feed additives

This work aimed to investigate the effects of dietary frankincense oil and ginger on the growth efficiency of growing Japanese quail, including live body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, carcass traits, and physical characteristics of the meat. In total, 150 unsexed Japanese quail chicks that were seven days old were utilized in the experiment. The chicks were randomly divided into five groups. Each group was divided into three replicates with ten birds in a completely randomized design. Group 1 received a basal diet without supplements and was used as a control group. Groups 2 and 3 received basal diets with 250 and 500 mg of ginger per kg of diet, respectively. Groups 4 and 5 received basal diets with 200 and 400 mg of frankincense oil per kg of diet, respectively. Results showed that BW of chicks received 500 mg of ginger and the two levels of frankincense oil at 5 weeks of age, and 250 mg of ginger and 400 mg of frankincense oil at 6 weeks significantly increased. BWG was significantly increased by using 500 mg of ginger and two levels of frankincense oil at 1-3 weeks, 250 mg of ginger and 400 mg of frankincense oil at 3-6 weeks, and 1-6 weeks of age, in comparison with the control group. Treatments insignificantly influenced feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved considerably by using 250mg of ginger and 400mg of frankincense at 3-6 weeks and 1-6 weeks of age, respectively. Gizzard% was notably reduced with 200mg of frankincense oil. The pH value of meat was significantly increased by having two levels of ginger. Still, water holding capacity and tenderness significantly decreased owing to 500 mg of ginger and 400 mg of frankincense oil. We can conclude that adding ginger and frankincense oil to Japanese quail diets may be beneficial.

Impacts of storage period and egg weight on hatching and growth performance of growing Japanese quails

This investigation aimed to assess how Japanese quail hatchability, growth, and carcass traits were affected by quail egg weight, storage length, and their interactions. One thousand two hundred sixty eggs of the commercial Japanese quail were purchased, and the average age of the birds was 13 weeks. Quail egg weights were divided into three groups using a 3 × 4 factorial design: small (< 11 g), medium (11–12 g), and large (> 12 g). Each group had four storage times (1, 4, 7, and 10 days) and held 105 eggs. The study used a storage room with 70% humidity and 18°C. There were 12 treatment groups. For the final three days of incubation, the eggs were positioned in a hatching machine after being incubated for 14 days at 37.6°C and 65% humidity. For the study, 540 one-day-old Japanese unsexed quail chicks were randomly chosen and placed in groups of five that resembled the distribution of eggs. Three duplicates (15 chicks each) made up each of the four storage periods that comprised the 180 birds. The findings showed that the percentage of hatchable eggs is significantly influenced by their weight and the length of storage; medium and heavy-weight eggs exhibited higher percentages of hatchability while holding for 7–10 days. However, no significant interaction was observed—additionally, heavy egg weight results in higher weight at different ages. Egg weight also significantly impacts chick weight at hatch, three weeks, and six weeks. Egg weight and storage time affect dressing and carcass measurement percentages. We can conclude that the best results in terms of hatch and post-hatch efficiency, as well as carcass characteristics, were obtained with medium or heavy quail eggs and storage times of either one day or four days.

The impacts of dietary inclusion of soybean oil and linseed oil on growth performance, carcass yield, and health status of growing Japanese quail

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including n-6 and n-3 fatty acids, are essential for enhancing the performance and health of poultry. Avian species lack desaturase enzymes for endogenous synthesis of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids. This work aimed to determine the impacts of including soybean oil (SO) and linseed oil (LO) in quail diets on growth, lipid profile, hepatic and renal functions, immunity, and antioxidant status. A total of 350 Japanese quail chicks (1-week-old) were randomly arranged into seven dietary treatment groups. Seven isocaloric and isonitrogenous experimental basal diets were formed based on the nutritional requirements of growing Japanese quail. Group 1, the control, received a basal with no oils, while groups 2–7 received a basal diet containing either 1% SO, 1.5% SO, 2% SO, 1% LO, 1.5% LO, or 2% LO, respectively. Quail groups that consumed diets containing LO at all levels showed significantly greater live body weight (LBW) at 5th week of age than other experimental groups. The dietary incorporation of 1.5 or 2% SO or LO at all levels yielded significant improvements in body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) through 3-5 and 1-5 weeks of age. Different dietary oil sources and levels have no significant impacts on feed intake (FI) and carcass yield parameters. Lipid profile parameters were improved by adding SO and LO in quail diets, with LO having a higher effect than SO. The hepatic and renal functionality were improved by adding SO and LO in quail diets. The lowest uric acid (UA) bloodstream concentrations were recorded in the quail group fed a diet with 2% LO. Values of Gamma globulins (G-GLO) and immunoglobulins (G, M, and A) were increased by adding SO or LO to quail diets. Blood levels of MDA and TAC were improved significantly by including LO in quail diets. The activity of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme was significantly increased by adding SO or LO to quail diets. Generally, adding SO or LO to growing quail diets up to 2% could yield favorable effects on growth performance, blood lipids, hepatic and renal functions, immunity, and antioxidant status; however, LO seems to have better effects than SO.

Effect of Azolla pinnata meal on growth, immunity, faecal E. coli, antioxidant capacity and gut histomorphology in Japanese quails

ABSTRACT Amidst increasing concerns regarding the incorporation of non-traditional protein sources in poultry diets as replacements for protein sources vital for human consumption, such as soybean meal, the utilization of Azolla leaf meal has garnered significant attention and popularity. The experiment commenced with 192 Japanese quail chicks (one day old), originated from a single hatch. Each chick was individually weighed and then randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups, namely control, supplementation of Azolla at the rate of 20 g/kg (Azolla 20), 40 g/kg (Azolla 40), and 60 g/kg (Azolla 60). Weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and dressing percentage were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in Azolla 40 and Azolla 60 compared to the control. No significant (P > 0.05) difference was found in antibody titre against New Castle disease virus, maleanodialdehyde (MDA) and faecal E. coli excretion. Further, villus height, crypt depth and ratio between them improved significantly (P < 0.05) in Azolla 60 compared to the control. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated a favourable impact of incorporating Azolla meal into the Japanese quail diet, leading to improved growth rates attributed to its positive influence on intestinal morphology. However, no significant effects were observed on immune response, lipid peroxidation, or faecal E. coli levels.

Use of Probiotics for Safe Quail Meat Production

Safe meat production is an important aspect to avoid human health hazards. The use of probiotics in poultry is an important tool to produce safe meat among several established biotechnological approaches. In this experiment, we studied the effects of probiotics for producing safe Japanese quail meat. 150 Japanese quail chicks were reared for a period of six weeks using various doses of probiotics (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2g per litre of water). The chicks were randomly distributed into five treatment groups with three replications each. The number of birds in each replication was 10. After rearing six weeks, significantly high body weight was found at probiotic concentrations of 1, 1.5, and 2g per litre of water. The feed intake in various treatments did not differ significantly, but comparatively better feed conversion ratios were observed at probiotic treatments. Water quality was not significantly differed as a result of addition of probiotics to the water. The reason for this better growth performance is probably due to the multiple benefits of probiotics in poultry. Probiotics could have maintained gut health with better nutrient utilization and availability that might have been led to higher body weight gain in the quail. In future experiments, challenging the birds with diseases or comparing probiotics with antibiotic growth promoters is required to ensure the efficiency of probiotics.

Using Coefficient of Variation to Study the Carcass Traits Uniformity for Three Lines of Japanese Quail

Quail body weight and its traits are important to poultry breeders and processors. Body weight correlated positively and negatively to several linear body measurements. Moreover, body weight affected by several factors such as age, sex, breed, rearing and feeding system, handling and slaughtering conditions. Two hundred ten day old unsexed Japanese quail chicks were obtained from three genetic lines of Japanese quail to study carcass traits uniformity by using coefficient of variation. At 40 days of age the feed was withdrawn for 6h, the birds were weighed individually to obtain live body weight. Thereafter the birds were slaughter by knife and let to bleed for 3 min. After the removal of feathers, the carcasses were dissection manually into various parts (chest, thigh, wings, back, head, nick, feet, heart, liver, and gizzard) and weight in gram by using electronic balance with (0.001) sensitivity. General Linear Model within the statistical program SPSS was used to study the effect of genetic lines and sex on carcass traits. Some traits were non-significant effected between the genetic lines such as in male were (Live body weight, head, nick, heart, liver, gizzard), and in female (live body weight, carcass, chest, wing back, head, feet, heart, liver, gizzard). We conclude that the carcass traits of Japanese quail differ among the three genetic lines (white, brown, and grey). And the high values of coefficient of variation may due to the breeding system of the birds.

Dose Addition Models Accurately Predict the Subacute Effects of a Mixture of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorooctanoic Acid on Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) Chick Mortality.

Biomonitoring data have consistently demonstrated that fish, wildlife, and humans are exposed to multiple per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and foods. Despite ubiquitous exposure to mixtures of PFAS, there is a lack of in vivo PFAS mixture research that addresses whether these chemicals act in a cumulative, dose-additive (DA) manner or whether they behave independently. For this reason, there is a critical need for mixtures studies designed to evaluate the cumulative toxicity and potential chemical interactions to support the assessment of human and ecological risks and also to define appropriate regulatory actions. Our primary objective was to evaluate the previously published Japanese quail chick mortality concentration-response data for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and the mixture of PFOS + PFOA and to use statistical modeling to determine whether the effects of the mixtures were accurately predicted by either DA or response addition modeling. In addition, we wanted to compare different DA models to determine whether one model produced more accurate predictions than the others. Our results support the hypothesis of cumulative effects on shared endpoints from PFOA and PFOS co-exposure and DA approaches for predictive estimates of cumulative effects. Given the limited number of in vivo studies that have been executed with enough individual PFAS and PFAS mixture concentration-response data to test the hypothesis of DA for PFAS mixtures, this re-analysis of the data is an important contribution to our understanding of how PFAS mixtures act. The analysis will provide support for regulatory agencies as they begin to implement PFAS cumulative hazard assessments in higher vertebrates. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:97-104. © 2023 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Effects of black pepper and turmeric powder on growth performance, gut health, meat quality, and fatty acid profile of Japanese quail.

In poultry production, the search for alternatives to in-feed antibiotics continues unabated. This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of black pepper and turmeric powder, separately or in combination, on the growth performance, gastrointestinal microbiota population, intestinal morphology, serum biochemical parameters, meat quality, and meat fatty acid profile in Japanese quails. Five hundred-day-old mixed-sex Japanese quail chicks were randomly assigned to one of five treatments: a control diet (CON); CON +0.2% antibiotic flavomycin as an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP); CON +0.5% turmeric powder (TUP); CON +0.5% black pepper powder (BPP); and CON +0.5% TUP, and 0.5% BPP (MIX). The findings showed that quail chicks fed AGP and TUP throughout the rearing period had better body weight gain (p = 0.007) and feed conversion ratio (p = 0.02) than the other treatments. The TUP, BPP, and MIX feeds reduced (p = 0.005) abdominal fat percentage. The MIX group had a better breast muscle water-holding capacity (p = 0.04) and lightness index (p = 0.02) and lower (p = 0.02) malondialdehyde concentration after 7days of refrigerated storage. Feeding BPP, TUP, and MIX diets decreased (p = 0.001) serum cholesterol concentration. Quail chicks fed the CON diet showed significantly higher coliform counts in the crop and ileum (p < 0.001), whereas the lactic acid bacterial population was lower (p = 0.008) in the ileum. Birds that received the MIX diet exhibited a higher (p = 0.02) villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum compared to the other groups. The tested feed additives increased (p < 0.001) villus height in the jejunum and ileum compared to other groups. Feeding the TUP, BPP, and MIX diets reduced (p < 0.001) total saturated fatty acid content and increased (p = 0.004) total polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration, where the MIX diet had the best results. Overall, the present data indicate that supplementing the basal diet with turmeric powder enhances the growth performance of Japanese quails. In some respects, such as gut health and meat quality, combining turmeric powder and black pepper powder was more effective than using them independently.

Influence of thyme and turmeric essential oils supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization and economics of Japanese quails

This experiment aimed to study the effect of dietary thyme and turmeric essential oils supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization and economics of Japanese quails. For this purpose, a total of 180 six-day-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly assigned into five different treatment groups, each with three replicates (12 birds per replicate). The experiment was conducted for 35 days. Different treatment groups of Japanese quails were designated as T0 (Basal diet without essential oils), T1 (Basal diet with 0.2% thyme essential oil), T2 (Basal diet with 0.3% turmeric essential oil, T3 (Basal diet with 0.125% thyme + 0.075% turmeric essential oils), and T4 (Basal diet with 0.075% thyme + 0.125 % turmeric essential oils). At the end of experiment, it was found that dietary supplementation of thyme and turmeric essential oils reduced feed consumption, improved body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio, with Japanese quails of T4 group showing best performance during overall experimental period. The feed cost per kg weight gain was minimum in treatment T4 over other treatment groups. Addition of thyme and turmeric essential oils in diet significantly enhanced nutrient utilization in Japanese quails. In conclusion, supplementing thyme and turmeric essential oils in combination at 0.075% and 0.125% of feed improved growth performance, utilization of nutrients and reduced feed cost per kg weight gain in Japanese quails.

The histopathological changes of liver and testis of Japanese quail chicks fed different levels of dietary L-valine

This experiment was carried out to investigate the histological changes of liver and testis of Japanese quail fed different levels of dietary valine (Val) in low protein diet. A total of 1000 one-day-old Japanese quail chicks (mixed sex) were assigned to five experimental diets including diets containing 7.5, 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 g digestible (dig.) Val/kg diet in a completely randomized design, with 5 replicates of 40 quail chicks per pen. Experimental diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and isonitrogenous (170 g crude protein/kg) to meet nutrients recommendation of growing quails suggested by Brazilian tables. At d 42, quail chicks were slaughtered, and tissue samples were collected and fixed to evaluate the histological indices of liver and testis. High levels of Val, increased (P < 0.05) diameter of liver cell nucleus and liver hepatocytes in both male and female. While 11.5 g Val showed mild hepatosteatosis, bile duct hyperplasia was observed in 10.5 g Val. In 7.5 and 8.5 g Val groups, there was no negative effects on the liver histology. The male quail chicks which fed on diets containing 8.5 g Val had better significant (P < 0.05) reproductive indexes [Tubular differentiation (TDI) and spermatic index (SI)]. In conclusion, the use of high levels of Val (≥ 9.5 g dig. Val/kg diet) during d 0 – 42 of age can lead to histological damage in liver and testis of quail chicks.

Post-hatching developmental changes in the adrenal gland of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica): Histological, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic studies.

The adrenal glands are paired abdominal endocrine organs vital to the bird's health. The present research aimed to provide a comprehensive examination of the histological, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical investigations of the adrenal gland in Japanese quail during the post hatching period. The current study was performed on 21 healthy Japanese quail chicks at different post hatching periods. Our results showed the adrenal gland is surrounded by a connective tissue capsule, which consists of dense collagen fibers containing large blood vessels, chromaffin cells, autonomic ganglia, fibroblasts, and migrating Schwann cells. The zonation of the adrenal gland is composed of a subcapsular layer, a peripheral zone, and a central zone, which gets more pronounced with age. At the ultrastructural level, the interrenal cells take the steroid-secreting cells characters; they have varying amounts of lipid droplets and abundant mitochondria. Adrenal medullary chromaffin cells showed positive immunoreactivity to the NSE. With increasing age, the chromaffin tissue's Sox10 immunoreactivity increased. β-catenin is expressed within the plasmalemma and the cytoplasm of the interrenal and chromaffin cells and its reactivity increased with age, especially in the chromaffin cells. Our results indicate the adrenal gland undergoes significant morphological changes during the postnatal life. Overall, the postnatal period is an important time for the development and maturation of the adrenal glands.

The comparison of two different plumage-color lines of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) disclosed a significant effect in increasing abdominal fat contents with increasing age

This study aimed to investigate the characteristic differences between the white and brown-feathered Japanese quails, by evaluating the carcass traits and egg fat content, blood parameters, and intestinal histopathological features. A total of 1200 1-day-old Japanese quail chicks of two varieties (brown and white-feathered) were used in this study. Live body weight and feed intake were reordered every week. At the 4th week of age, 80 birds from each variety were slaughtered and carcass quality measurements and histopathological changes were recorded. After 6 weeks of age, eggs were collected, and egg quality was assessed. The results revealed that white-feathered quails had significantly heavier body weights and higher growth rates. At 4 weeks of age, females of the white-feather quail had significantly heavier slaughter, after de-feathering, and carcass weights. Remarkable variations between the studied quail varieties, with significant dominance of females in both varieties, at the level of water holding capacity, pH, and meat tenderness ascertained an obvious superiority of white-feathered quails compared to brown ones and indicated the higher tendency of the white quails for meat production. These results were linked with significant changes in biochemical profiles including lipids biomarkers, total protein, and Ca and phosphorus levels along with variations in the intestinal morphometry. It can be concluded that white-feathered quails had, in general, higher values of productivity compared with the brown-feathered ones during growing and laying periods.

Effects of dietary nisin on growth performance, slaughter traits, and thigh meat quality of quail

Abstract In this study, the growth performance, carcass yield, relative organ weight, and thigh meat quality of quail fed with diets containing different amounts of nisin as an active ingredient were investigated. A total of 400 one-day-old Japanese quail chicks were used. The quail were divided into 4 groups with five replicates and were fed with diets without (control) or with nisin (150, 300, and 500Â mg/kg). The study lasted 35 d. At the end of the experiment, a total of 80 quail, 10 males and 10 females of each group, were randomly weighed and slaughtered. After slaughtering, carcass yield, relative liver, heart, gizzard, and proventriculus weights were recorded. Stress factors (Malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant status (TAS), the total of oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI)) were analysed in thigh meat. Increasing levels of nisin did not affect the growth performance of quail (PÂ >Â 0.05). In terms of slaughter weight, the slaughter weight of both males and females differed among the groups (PÂ <Â 0.05). While the highest value in males was observed in the control group, the highest value in females was observed in the N150 group. Only the relative liver weights of males and the relative proventriculus weights of females were statistically different (PÂ <Â 0.01) between treatments. With increasing nisin level, the weight of the liver increased in the males and the weight of the proventriculus in the females. The addition of nisin decreased MDA and OSI values in both males and females, as compared to the control group. Furthermore, CAT and TAS values were found to be significantly higher in the nisin supplemented group than in the control group. As a result, it is concluded that adding nisin to quail feed positively affects TAS, TOS, MDA and CAT values of thigh meat and can prevent the adverse effects that may occur due to stress.

Effects of mulberry leaves on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Japanese quail

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of mulberry leaves on performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Japanese quail. A total of 240 one-day-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly allocated to three experimental groups and fed a basal diet (control) and the basal diet plus 50 g/kg and 100 g/kg mulberry leaf meal (MLM) for 42 days. By the end of the study, performance parameters of quail fed the 100 g/kg MLM-supplemented diet were affected negatively. The highest carcass weight and carcass yield levels were exhibited in the control group. In terms of meat quality, the shear force of the breast meat of quail fed the diet with 100 g/kg supplemented MLM was higher than the other groups. The highest L* and hue angle values of breast meat were found in the 50 g/kg MLM group. Released water from the thigh meat in the control group was higher than in the experimental groups. The current study indicates that 50 g/kg MLM can be used easily in quail rations without any negative effects.

Effect of dietary supplementation of Spirulina platensis powder on performance, some serum biochemistry, digestive enzymes, microbial content, antioxidant parameters and immune responses of growing Japanese quail

This study was performed to examine the influences of Spirulina platensis powder (SPP) on growth performance, physiological status, blood biochemistry, and intestinal microbial population in quail. 240-10-days old Japanese quail chicks were distributed into five groups. Each group had four replicate pens with 12 birds each. The first group received a basal diet (control group). Groups from two to five received the basal diet with SPP at levels of 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0% as dietary ingredients, respectively. Results clarified significantly higher live body weight and body weight gain (p < 0.001) with significant enhancements (p < 0.001) in feed conversion values for groups that received SPP levels, especially 4.5% compared with the control and other groups. Birds fed on a diet containing SPP had significantly higher amylase, trypsin and lipase levels (p < 0.001) than the control. Intestinal Lactobacillus sp. was significantly increased, and Escherichia coli and Salamonella populations were significantly decreased by dietary SPP levels (p < 0.001). Liver function, total lipid profile, antioxidant parameters and immune response were significantly affected by SPP levels compared with the control (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the inclusion of SPP until 4.5% in quail diets could improve the growth performance, intestinal microbial population and serum biochemical constituents of growing quail.

Effects of Dietary Intervention Using Spirulina at Graded Levels on Productive Performance and Physiological Status of Quail Birds Reared under Elevated Temperatures

The current study aimed to explore the effect of Spirulina platensis (SP) inclusion at various levels in quail diets, in terms of their production performance, physiological traits, stress measurements, and immunological parameters under heat stress (HS) conditions. Four hundred Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) chicks, one day old, were equally distributed into forty wire cages, and the cages were placed in two chambers with environmentally controlled systems (20 cages in each chamber). From 21 to 42 d of age, the quails were randomly subjected to a factorial design of two HS treatments × four SP treatments. To induce HS treatments in the quails, the first chamber was maintained at a thermoneutral temperature of 24 °C (TN group), while the temperature of the second chamber was elevated to 35 °C during the daytime (9:00–17:00 h), followed by a thermoneutral temperature for the remaining 24 h cycle (HS group). The birds in each chamber were further allocated into four SP treatments (5 replicate cages × 10 birds per cage in each treatment), where the quails were fed on a basal diet that included 0, 5, 10, or 15 g/kg SP (SP0, SP5, SP10, and SP15 groups, respectively). After exposure to the HS, a significant (p &lt; 0.05) reduction of 5% in body weight and 9% in both weight gain and feed intake was recorded, and the slaughter performance of the quails was adversely (p &lt; 0.05) affected. In addition, HS significantly (p &lt; 0.05) impaired the physiological traits (total protein, albumin, globulin, alanine transferase, aspartate transferase, creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, and triglycerides) and immunological parameters (total white blood cells, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and T- and B-lymphocyte stimulation indexes), but increased the stress measurements (corticosterone, malondialdehyde, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α). In contrast, most of these parameters were linearly (p &lt; 0.05) improved by increasing the SP levels in the diets of the TN quail group. When the SP was included in the diets of the HS quail group, the deleterious effects of HS on the alanine and aspartate transferase activities, creatinine, uric acid, triglycerides, corticosterone, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and T- and B-lymphocyte stimulation indexes were remarkably (p &lt; 0.05) relieved. These results concluded that SP nutritional application can improve the production performance and the overall physiological homeostasis of the Japanese quail, especially when suffering from heat stress.