Laying Performance and Egg Characteristics of Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Fed Diets Containing Mango Fruit Reject Meal
Orayaga Kanan Tyohemba *
Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science, University of Agriculture, 2373 Makurdi, Nigeria
Sheidi Suleiman Shaibu
Department of Animal Production, College of Animal Science, University of Agriculture, 2373 Makurdi, Nigeria
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Orayaga, Kanan Tyohemba1
Aim: The experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of composite mango fruit rejects meal on the performance of laying Japanese quails.
Methodology: Mango fruit reject meal (MFRM) was included in laying Japanese quails' diets at 0.0, 40.00, 80.00, 120.00 and 160.00 g/kg respectively; 0.0 g/kg MFRM served as the control diet. One hundred and twenty (120) 51-day-old Japanese quails were randomly allocated to the five dietary treatments and replicated three times with each replicate having eight (8) quail birds in a completely randomized design and fed for 28 days.
Results: Proximate composition of MFRM showed that it has high soluble carbohydrate (810.10 g/kg); low protein (43.80 g/kg), fat and fibre. Growth in the laying phase and laying performances were not significantly affected. There were no significant differences among treatment groups for egg characteristics as well.
Conclusion: It was concluded that MFRM is a utilisable energy feedstuff in quail diets and should be included at 160.00 g/kg in place of maize. It was recommended that higher levels should be investigated.
Keywords: Body weight, crude protein, egg, egg production, feed intake, yolk