Carcass and organ characteristics of growing Japanese quails (coturnix coturnix japonica) fed diets containing boiled Prosopis africana seed coat meal (BPASCM) (Published)
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of replacing maize with boiled-toasted Prosopis africana seed coat meal on carcass and organ characteristics of Japanese quails. A total of three hundred (300) two-weeks-old unsexed Japanese quails were used in a seven week study. The quails were balanced for weight and equally allotted into five treatment groups of 60 birds per treatment. The control diet which contained 0% BPASCM and four other experimental diets in which maize was replaced by boiled Prosopis africana seed coat meal at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% levels in the experimental diets constituted the five treatments (I-V) respectively. Result showed a significant (P<0.05) difference in the live weight, slaughter weight, dressed weight, breast weight, drum stick weight, back weight, shank weight and feather weight. The highest weight for all the carcass traits occurred in the control diet but was statistically similar to weights obtained in treatment group two. Organs such as intestine weight, liver weight, kidney weight, and heart weight were found to be significantly (P<0.05) affected by the replacement with boiled Prosopis africana seed coat meal (BPASCM) while others such as lungs weight, spleen weight, pancreases weight and gizzard weight were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by replacement with BPASCM The highest weight of intestine was observed at treatment V. Liver weight and heart weight were highest in treatment II and the highest weight of kidney was recorded in the control group. The inclusion of both maize and BPASCM in the diets at 3:1 ratio respectively is recommended in the feeding of meat-type Japanese quail birds.
Keywords: Carcass and organ characteristics, Japanese quails, Maize and BPASCM