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A 6-week feeding trial was carried out to investigate the optimal calcium level in the diet of quail chicks in Nigeria. Four isonitrogenous (25% crude protein) diets containing 0.5, 1.0,1.5 and 2.0% dietary calcium were employed in the trial which involved 480) day-old, uncensored quail chicks. The diets were also isocaloric (2750 kcal/kg M. E). Each dietary treatment was replicated three times. Responses measured included weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio. Feed intake was higher in diet A (P<0.05) in comparison to others. Diet D recorded lower feed intake (P<0.05) than Diets B and C. Weight gain was similar (P>0.05) for Diets A, B and C which were better than diet D (P>0.05). Feed conversion was better with Diets C And D (P<0.05) than with diets A and B. Diet A was poorer (P<0.05) than diet B in terms of feed conversion. Feed cost/gain ratio was lower (P<0.05) on Diet A than others. Percent bone ash was similar on the diets except Diet C. Results of this study indicated that dietary calcium levels of between 0.5 and 1% will support acceptable weight gain and % bone ash in the first 6 weeks of life.

A six-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the replacement value of Cassava meal for maize in a piratical quail diet. It involved ninety six day-old quail chicks housed in cages in a brooding house. Four isonitrogenous (22%mde protein) diets incorporating graded levels (0.0, 15, 25 and 35%) of cassava meal as a replacement for maize were tested. The diets were also isocaloric (280Kcal/kg  M. E.) and contained crude protein (25.53%; diet 1, 25.00%; diet 2, 24.34%; diet 3and 24.00% diet4) and were replicated three times. Feed intake weight gain feed/gain ratio and feed cost/kg gain did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) across the treatment. Feed cost decreased numerically across the treatments and was lowest for diet 4, i.e., the diet in which all the maize was replaced by 35% cassava meal. Feed cost/kg gain was numerically lower for diet 4 (146.34) than the other diets (233.16, 169.39, and 159.94).  Results of this study indicated that at dietary crude protein levels of between 24 and 25% and M.E. of 2800Kcal/kg feed, 35% cassava meal based diet was suitable for acceptable ‘growth performance in Japanese quail chicks in the first six weeks of life’

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