Effect of Alfalfa Meal and Enzyme Use on Performance, Carcass and Intestinal Parameters in Growing Quail Rations

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the influence of different levels of alfalfa meal and the addition of enzyme on performance, carcass and intestinal parameters in growing quails. Japanese quails (n=240), 1 days of age, were divided into 6 dietary treatment groups and the experiment lasted for 5 weeks. In each experiment group there were 4 replicates, and in each replicates there were 10 chicks. Six diets, arranged a factorial design with three alfalfa meal levels (0, 2.5 and 5.0 %) and two levels of added enzyme (0.0 and 1.0 g/kg) were used. The treatments did not effect on the body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. However, relative liver, leg+back, intestine weights and crypt depth were significantly increased, and relative heart and breast weights and villus width decreased by dietary alfalfa meal levels. The addition of enzyme to diets containing alfalfa meal did not affect the performance and carcass parameters, but reduced the intestinal histomorphology parameters in quails. According to the results obtained from the experiment, it can be said that the use of alfalfa meal in growing quail diets did not affect the performance, but the use of alfalfa meal at the level of 2.5% in the diet promotes intestinal development.