Effect of dietary supplementation of essential oils mixture on performance, eggshell quality, hatchability, and mineral excretion in quail breeders

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of six different levels (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg) of phytogenic feed additive containing a mixture essential oils from thyme, black cumin, fennel, anise and rosemary on performance, eggshell quality, reproductive traits, and mineral excretion in quail breeders. In this trial, a total of 60 male and 120 female quails, 91 days old, were randomly distributed in six experimental groups. During the 60-day experiment period, birds were fed with six treatment diets. Performances, eggshell qualities, hatchability, and mineral excretion data were evaluated at the end of the experiment. Results showed that the different dietary levels of essential oil mixture had no significant effect on performance parameters, damaged eggs, eggshell weight, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, hatchability of set eggs, and lead and boron excretion. On the other hand, 50 mg/kg supplementation of essential oil mixture (EOM) significantly improved egg-breaking strength and eggshell thickness, and ash, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and cadmium excretion was significantly depressed in quail breeders supplemented with the two higher doses (400 or 600 mg/kg) of EOM. These results concluded that supplementing diets with EOM improved egg-breaking strength and decreased excretion of minerals in breeder quails.

Effects of fennel seed supplementation of ration on performance, egg quality, serum cholesterol, and total phenol content of egg yolk of laying quails

“…Body weight, egg production, and egg weight were not affected by dietary treatments. This result is similar to several studies on layer hens (Kaya et al, 2013) and quail breeders (Olgun and Yıldız, 2014). The study of Çabuk et al (2014) also revealed similar findings on egg weight by using dietary fennel essential oil including mixture for laying hens at the summer season.…”

“…The numerical differences in egg production in the groups were not significant when compared with the control group. The result of egg production is similar to results of Nasiroleslami and Torki (2010) and Olgun and Yıldız (2014). However, dietary 50 mg/kg fennel extract increased the egg production of broiler breeders (Kazemi-Fard et al, 2013).…”

“…However, the results of feed efficiency (kg feed per kg egg) are not similar. While Olgun and Yıldız (2014) reported no significance for feed efficiency, Çabuk et al (2014) and Çabuk et al (2006) had better results. These conflicting results may be due to the amount of active fennel components (trans-anethole) of dietary products and product dosages in the rations.…”

Consequences of various housing systems and dietary supplementation of thymol, carvacrol, and euganol on performance, egg quality, blood chemistry, and antioxidant parameters

“…This result agrees with that of Olgun (2016) who confirmed that eggshell thickness was increased quadratically by EO supplementation. On the contrary, some studies reported that supplementation of EOs in laying hen diet had no effect on the egg quality parameters ( Luna et al., 2012 ; Olgun and Yıldız, 2014 ). However, the improvements in HU in our study are important for the egg-food industry because the HU score is known as an indicator of egg freshness and is related to shelf life.…”

Effects of essential oils on performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility and yolk fatty acid profile in laying hens

“…And, Olgun (2016) also reported that egg weight, egg mass and eggshell thickness were positively affected by EOM supplementation. On the contrary, research also showed that the different dietary levels of EOM had no significant effect on performance parameters, damaged eggs, eggshell weight ( Olgun and Yildiz, 2014 ). However, these previous studies on the EOs in the layers were mainly focused on the production performance, egg quality and nutrient digestibility, and the results are inconsistent.…”