Evaluation of nutritional plans for meat quail

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated three nutritional plans for quail from 1 to 42 days of age on performance, carcass quality, and economic viability. A total of 210 European quail were distributed into three treatments in a randomized complete design with five replicates and 14 birds in each plot. The following three treatments were tested: nutritional plan 1 - one diet, provided from 1 to 42 days of age; nutritional plan 2 - two diets, provided from 1 to 21 and 22 to 42 days of age; and nutritional plan 3 - three diets, provided from 1 to 14, 15 to 35, and 36 to 42 days of age. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means were compared by the Student Newman Keuls (SNK) test at the 5% probability level. At 42 days of age, one bird from each sex, of each experimental unit, was slaughtered to evaluate the yields of carcass, breast, legs, and abdominal fat. Nutritional plans per rearing stage with two or three diets provided similar production performances and better feed conversion than the plan including only one diet. Studied carcass characteristics did not differ between treatments. The nutritional plan with three diets provided the best economic viability. The best nutritional plan for meat quail was that containing three types of diet, because it provided a lower cost with feed per kilogram of quail produced without compromising performance or carcass characteristics.