EFFECT OF CERTAIN DIETARY VITAMINS SUPPLEMENTATION ON SOME PRODUCTIVE, REPRODUCTIVE AND HATCHING PERFORMANCE OF JAPANESE QUAIL UNDER EGYPTIAN SUMMER CONDITIONS

El-Mekawy, Mohamed M.; Askar, A. A.; Ibrahim, Zenat A.; Soliman, M. M.

doi:10.21608/zjar.2016.98118

EFFECT OF CERTAIN DIETARY VITAMINS SUPPLEMENTATION ON SOME PRODUCTIVE, REPRODUCTIVE AND HATCHING PERFORMANCE OF JAPANESE QUAIL UNDER EGYPTIAN SUMMER CONDITIONS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Poult. Dept., Fac. Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt

10.21608/zjar.2016.98118

Abstract

This work was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation of vitamins A, E, C, B₆ and B₁₂ on some productive and reproductive traits of mature Japanese quails during hot summer season under Egyptian environmental conditions. A total number of 180 Japanese quail breeders (126 females and 54 males), 8 weeks old with nearly equal body weight (215 to 250 g) were randomly divided into six treatment groups (21 females and 9 males in each group). Birds in the first experimental group received the basal diet (without supplementation) used as control, while birds in 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^thand 6^th groups, were received the basal diet supplemented with one of the following vitamins, A (5 mg /kg diet), E (150 mg /kg diet), C (250 mg /kg diet), B₆ (3 mg /kg diet) or B₁₂ (2 mg /kg diet), respectively. Egg production, egg quality, semen characteristics as well as hatchability (%) and hatched chick performance were determined. Results indicated that the addition of vitamin C or B₆ in the diets of Japanese quail layers, significantly (P ≤ 0.01) improved egg number and feed conversion ratio (FCR) comparatively with those unsupplemented treatments, while egg mass values were improved significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in layers fed diet supplemented with vitamin E, C, or B₆ when compared with layers fed basal diet. The highest egg length value was obtained for hens fed diets supplemented with 150 mg vitam. E /kg diet, while the lowest value was obtained with those fed diets supplemented with 3 mg vitam. B₆ /kg diet when compared with control. Birds fed diet supplemented with 150 mg vitam. E/kg diet recorded the lowest value of egg shape index comparatively with the control and other treatment groups. Japanese quail layers given B₆ or B₁₂ had significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher hatchablility values than those unsupplemented with vitamins. Semen characteristics studied [mass motility (%), individual motility (%)and dead sperm (%)] were significantly (P ≤ 0.01) improved male Japanese quail fed diets supplemented with A, E, C and B₆ in comparison with these supplemented with vitam. B₁₂and the control group. It could be concluded that supplementing quail breeder diet with vitamins B₆, E and C, improved the productive performance, while vitam. B₆ gave the higher hatchability percentage. The best semen characteristics were obtained by vitam. E supplementation.

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