The Effect of Using White Sorghum Grain in Diet on Performance and Egg Quality in Laying Quails

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the effect of using different levels of white sorghum grain on performance, eggshell quality, egg internal quality and yolk colour parameters in laying quails. For this purpose, 168 female Japanese quails were randomly distributed to 7 treatment groups with 8 replications each containing 3 quails. Treatment diets were created by using white sorghum grain at the level of 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%. The feed intake of the group using of 5% white sorghum grain in the diet was significantly higher than the groups using of white sorghum at 30, 40, and 50% (P<0.01), but other performance parameters were not affected using white sorghum (P>0.05). Damaged egg rate and eggshell thickness, which are among the eggshell quality parameters, were significantly affected by the treatments (P<0.05), and the damaged egg rate increased significantly at 50% white sorghum grain level. Among the egg internal quality parameters, yolk index significantly increased with the using of white sorghum grain at the levels of 5, 10, and 20% (P<0.01). Yolk colour parameters were affected using white sorghum grains in the diet and compared to the control group (0%), Roche scale score significantly decreased from 40%, a* value 5%, and b* value 20%. The yolk L* value increased significantly with the use of white sorghum grain at the levels of 40 and 50% compared to the control group. According to these results, considering the performance and egg quality of quails, it shows that white sorghum grain can be used up to 30% in quail diets.