Impact of Pre-transport Feed Withdrawal on Welfare and Meat Characteristics of European Quails

Abstract

The objective of this study was evaluate whether pretransport feed withdrawal affects welfare, carcass, and meat characteristics of European quails. A total of 120 European quails were used, with an initial age of 15 days. Bird feed was removed before transport to the slaughterhouse at the following times, which characterised the different treatments: zero hours, three hours, six hours, nine hours and twelve hours. The transport took 54 minutes to cover 27 kilometres to a commercial slaughterhouse. The birds were slaughtered at 41 days of age. During bleeding, blood samples were collected. Blood glucose, total protein, albumin, uric acid, and corticosterone concentrations were measured. The carcasses and meat characteristics were measured. Poultry body weight decreased and blood glucose concentrations increased with the increase in feed withdrawal time. The treatments did not affect carcass weights. Carcass yields after three hours fasting were similar to those in the six hours and nine hours groups, indicating that gastrointestinal tracts were empty after the third hour. Meat quality was negatively affected (pH, lightness, water holding capacity, cooking loss) by the increase in feed withdrawal time; integrated parameters that characterise dark, firm, dry meat. Pre transport feed withdrawal time should be three hours to empty the gastrointestinal tract and minimise losses in meat quality of European quails. It is necessary to adjust feed withdrawal so that it does not exceed this time, since there is no technical justification for supporting it.

Impact of early feed restriction and continued supplementation with coated organic acid and essential oils on sustainability of laying performance, egg quality, fertility, hatchability, immunity status, and gut microbiota of Japanese quail hens

“…In addition, Uddin et al (2020) showed that quail diets supplemented with organic acid did not influence carcass traits but increased carcass percentage and liver weight. On the other hand, Silva et al (2022) showed that FR significantly reduced carcass trait percentages of quails, but carcass weight was not affected. In addition, Rønning et al (2009) reported that feed restriction decreased effective body mass, liver, and kidney weight of quails.…”

“…Our results agree partially with Arslan et al (2022), who demonstrated that a laying hen diet supplemented with essential oil (50, 100, and 200 mg/ kg diet) had increased value of serum blood AST due to higher FI and enhanced EP and did not affect serum blood ALT. Silva et al (2022) showed that serum blood corticosterone, total protein, and albumin values were not affected by feed rationing for quails, but glucose value was reduced. Sözcü et al (2021) reported that laying hens reared under feed restriction (120 g/day at 50-51 weeks of age) had a significant decrease in cholesterol, AST, ALT val-ues but no effect on T3, T4, IgG, IgA, IgM.…”