1Animal Production Department, Collage of Agriculture, University of Kirkuk, Iraq
2Applied Geology Department, Collage of Science, University of Kirkuk, Iraq
One hundred and twenty of adaptable females Japanese quail aged 24 weeks were affected to five dietary treatments and six replicate (4 bird/replicate) per dietary treatments. T1 (control treatment) without clay, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were add local mineral clay (Meqdadia) with 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% of diet respectively. Adding 2% of local mineral clay (Meqdadia) to the diet is significantly (p≤0.05) increased egg production, while the egg mass of the control treatment significantly decreased comparing to the diets contained 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% of local mineral clay (Meqdadia). The bird of fifth treatment significantly (p≤0.05) consumed higher diet and energy comparing with the birds of control treatment. No significant difference in the feed, energy and protein conversion ratio among the bird of all treatments. Egg shell thickness (mm) and shell weight (%) were significantly (p≤0.05) higher by adding local mineral clay (Meqdadia). On other hand the difference in the percentage weight of the carcass parts were no significant among all treatments.
Clay, performance, egg quality, quail
