Laying Performance of Japanese Quail Fed on Different Seed Meals in Diet

The response of laying Japanese quails to dietary sunflower seed meal (SSM), neem kernel meal (NKM) and rapeseed meal (RSM) added for part of soybean meal and deoiled rice bran was investigated in the present study. One control diet, Dl with soybean meal and three test diets, D2, D3 and D4 containing SSM, NKM and RSM at 100 g/kg was made and each of the four diets were offered ad lib. as mash to 12 birds housed individually in laying cages from 7 to 20 wk age. The birds in different dietary groups had earlier received the respective quail starter-grower diets containing SSM, NKM and RSM as in the layer quail diets. Observations on egg production of quails, feed intake, blood biochemicals and pathomorphology of vital organs were made. Results on feed intake revealed insignificant differences amongst the groups and similar egg production and egg quality. However quails fed on SSM and NKM diets tended to utilize feed less efficiently (P<0.01) as compared to control and RSM diet. Except for high (P<0.01) ALP activity in quails fed NKM diet no significant (P<0.05) differences in haematological (Hb TEC TLC) AST and ALT activities were noticed. Histopathoiogy of vital organs of quails fed NKM diets showed massive fatty infiltration in liver and degenerative changes in the kidney tissues. It may be concluded that though all three-protein sources supported optimum egg production but long term NKM feeding may induce pathological changes in vital organs.