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Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

DOI

10.3906/vet-1106-40

Abstract

In this paper, evaluation of the effect of processed pea seeds (free of raffinose family oligosaccharides) on the performance traits and the results of reproduction in Japanese quails is presented. A flock of 72 quails was divided into 3 groups consisting of equal numbers of birds (18 females and 6 males). Birds were kept in cages in an environmentally controlled room with a lighting cycle of 17 h of light and 7 h of dark, and they were fed 1 of 3 different diets. Whereas diet 1 served as the control, diet 2 was supplemented with 5% and diet 3 with 10% peas (cultivar Piast) from which oligosaccharides were removed. Feed consumption in the experimental groups was similar and at the same time significantly higher than that in the control group. Significant improvement of feed conversion ratio per 1 egg was found in the group fed with feed mixture containing 5% oligosaccharide-free pea. Lower feed conversion per kilogram of eggs was also observed in both experimental groups fed with pea diet. The use of processed pea (without oligosaccharides) in feed had a favourable effect on laying performance. Better production results were achieved in group 2 fed with feed containing 5% pea in the feed mixture, whereas in group 3 (10% oligosaccharide-free peas) the highest egg weight was found. The other egg quality traits analysed were similar and did not differ significantly irrespective of the type of applied diet. Introduction of oligosaccharide-free pea to quail diet in the amounts of 5% and 10% favourably influenced quail fertilisation rates. Improvement of the hatchability from fertilised eggs was also observed, in particular in the group fed with fodder containing 5% processed pea.

Keywords

Nutrition, quail, pea, egg quality, reproduction

First Page

676

Last Page

682

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