Influence of Dietary Levels of Fiber and Fat on Laying Performance of Japanese Quail

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out to clarify the influence of dietary levels of fiber and fat on the egg production of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). In experiment 1, 120 quails of 5 months old were divided into 3 groups and fed three designed diets which serially increase the fiber and fat contents as 3-3%, 6-6%, and 9-9% but fixed the protein and ME value to 21% and 2.7kcal/g respectively. In experiment 2, 9 experimental diets of fiber-fat proportion as 3-3, 3-6, 3-9, 6-3, 6-6, 6-9, 9-3, 9-6, 9-9 with the protein and ME value fixed to 22% and 2.5kcal/g were fed during 3 months to 432 quails of 4 months old. For the regulation of fiber and fat contents, saw-dust and lard were used. The results were as follows:
1. In the case of feeding with the diet involving a fixed protein content and ME value, changes of fiber and fat contents did not influence the feed consumption, egg production rate and feed efficiency of laying quail.
2. The egg weight increased as the fat content in diets increased. The regression equation is shown as follows:
Y=9.631+0.075X in experiment 1 and
Y=9.495+0.088X in experiment 2
respectively, where Y is egg weight (g) and X is fat content (%). As the equation indicate, however, the level-up of 1% of fat content increase the egg weight as little as 0.08g and therefore the level-up brings no significant change of the feed efficiency.