Performance and Carcass of Broiler Quails Fed Distillers’ Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS)

ABSTRACT

This study determined the metabolizable energy of DDGS for broiler quails (Experiment I) and evaluated the effect of different dietary levels of DDGS on performance, carcass, organ weight, meat quality, and economic viability (Experiment II). In Experiment I, 72 broiler quails were randomly distributed into two treatments (reference or test diets). The experimental period consisted of 5 days of adaptation, followed by 5 days of total excreta collection. Experimental diets consisted of a reference or a test diet containing 800 g/kg reference diet and 200 g/kg DDGS. In experiment II, 432 unsexed broiler quails were randomly distributed into groups fed six levels of DDGS (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, or 250 g/kg). At 43 days of age, birds were slaughtered and evaluated for carcass yield, organ weight, and meat quality. Apparent metabolizable energy values corrected for nitrogen retention of DDGS were 2,488 and 2,466 kcal/kg for males and females, respectively. In the growth phase and the overall period, feed intake increased linearly (p=0.015 and 0.040) and feed conversion ratio worsened (p=0.038 and 0.001) with the inclusion of DDGS in the diet, respectively. A linear increasing (p=0.001) of gizzard weight was observed with increasing dietary DDGS levels, while the economic variables were affect depending on seasonal feedstocks prices. It is concluded that dietary levels up to 250 g/kg DDGS do not affect growth, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of broiler quails. However, the prices of ingredients in the harvest and off-season period should be considered to determine the level of inclusion of DDGS.

Keywords:
DDGS; economic viability; meat quality; metabolizability; performance