Effect of certain dietary vitamins supplementation on some productive, reproductive and hatching performance of Japanese quail under Egyptian summer conditions

Abstract EN

This work was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation of vitamins A, E, C, B٦ and B١٢ on some productive and reproductive traits of mature Japanese quails during hot summer season under Egyptian environmental conditions.

A total number of ١٨٠ Japanese quail breeders (١٢٦ females and ٥٤ males), ٨ weeks old with nearly equal body weight (٢١٥ to ٢٥٠ g) were randomly divided into six treatment groups (٢١ females and ٩ males in each group).

Birds in the first experimental group received the basal diet (without supplementation) used as control, while birds in ٢nd, ٣rd, ٤th, ٥th and ٦th groups, were received the basal diet supplemented with one of the following vitamins, A (٥ mg /kg diet), E (١٥٠ mg /kg diet), C (٢٥٠ mg /kg diet), B٦ (٣ mg /kg diet) or B١٢ (٢ mg /kg diet), respectively.

Egg production, egg quality, semen characteristics as well as hatchability (%) and hatched chick performance were determined.

Results indicated that the addition of vitamin C or B٦ in the diets of Japanese quail layers, significantly (P ≤ ٠.٠١) improved egg number and feed conversion ratio (FCR) comparatively with those unsupplemented treatments, while egg mass values were improved significantly (P ≤ ٠.٠٥) in layers fed diet supplemented with vitamin E, C, or B٦ when compared with layers fed basal diet.

The highest egg length value was obtained for hens fed diets supplemented with ١٥٠ mg vitam.

E /kg diet, while the lowest value was obtained with those fed diets supplemented with ٣ mg vitam.

B٦ /kg diet when compared with control.

Birds fed diet supplemented with ١٥٠ mg vitam.

E/kg diet recorded the lowest value of egg shape index comparatively with the control and other treatment groups.

Japanese quail layers given B٦ or B١٢ had significantly (P ≤ ٠.٠١) higher hatchablility values than those unsupplemented with vitamins.

Semen characteristics studied [mass motility (%), individual motility (%) and dead sperm (%)] were significantly (P ≤ ٠.٠١) improved male Japanese quail fed diets supplemented with A, E, C and B٦ in comparison with these supplemented with vitam.

B١٢ and the control group.

It could be concluded that supplementing quail breeder diet with vitamins B٦, E and C, improved the productive performance, while vitam.

B٦ gave the higher hatchability percentage.

The best semen characteristics were obtained by vitam.

E supplementation