Influence of Calcium and Nonphytate Phosphorus (NPP) on Meat-Type Quail’s Growth, Carcass Features, and Tibia Indices

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the role of increasing dietary calcium (Ca) and non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) supplementation on the growth, carcass, edible portions, and tibia indicators of growing quail. The current study was conducted in a 3×3 factorial design, for this, 360 1-wk-old quails were haphazardly assigned to nine groups, each group is with three gradual levels of Ca (0.60, 0.90, and 1.20 %) and NPP (0.20, 0.40  and 0.60 %). Each group was divided into five replicates with eight-quail each. Results of the study suggested that except at 2 and 6 weeks of age, dietary Ca level did not exhibit any significant (P > 0.05) impact on body weight. Similarly, in the case of NPP, apart from the live weight at 2 and 3 weeks of age, NPP did not have a significant impact on live body weight. Further, in comparison to the low Ca level, the moderate or high Ca levels have higher values of body weight gain. During all the experiments, dietary Ca, NPP, or their mixtures had no significant (P > 0.05) impact on feed consumption. Similarly, feed conversion rate and carcass metrics were also not affected by the individual or combined application of Ca or NPP supplementation    Similarly, dietary intakes of Ca or P did not have any significant effect on the various tibia indicators (P > 0.05). Results of the study can be concluded that the effect of the Ca and NPP levels in Japanese quail diets is lowered and it does not much affect the growth rate, feed utilization, carcass yields, edible components, or tibia indices.