Effect of Multicarbohydrase Enzymes on Performance of Japanese Quail Fed Optimal and Suboptimal Energy Levels

Abstract

An on-farm experiment was conducted using 360 one-day old Japanese quail chicks which, individually wing-banded, weighed and randomly distributed into 4 experimental groups of similar mean body weight of 3 replicates each and aimed to study the possibility of improving the ME of SBM-based diets fed to Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) by dietary addition of a commercial enzyme preparation "Xylam 500 " at a level of 0.5 kg/ton and its effect on growth performance, some carcass traits, intestinal viscosity and incidence of pasting vents and laying performance. Two experimental starter-grower corn-soybean meal diets (C-SBM) were formulated to be iso-nitrogenous (24% CP) and containing two ME levels (2900 & 2750 kcal ME/kg diet). Also, two experimental C-SBM layer basal diets were formulated to be iso-nitrogenous (20% CP) and containing two ME levels (2900 & 2750 kcal ME/kg diet). Four dietary treatments in both starting-growing and laying periods were compared; two treatments consisted of the two basal diets without "Xylam 500 " supplementation and two treatments consisted of the two basal diets supplemented with "Xylam 500 " at a level of 0.5 kg/ton. Live growth performance, carcass characteristics, intestinal viscosity and incidence of pasting vents and laying performance were determined. Generally, supplementing Xylam 500 to RE-diet gave equal performance to the corresponding Xylam 500 -free diet. But, supplementing Xylam 500 to LE-diet significantly improved PI and GR, EP %, EN, EW, EM, FCR, carcass parameters %, liver, heart and edible giblets %. However, it significantly decreased MR %, abdominal fat %, the viscosity in different parts of intestine, pasting vents % and FI. Nutritionally, it could be concluded that supplementing "Xylam 500 " in both starter-grower and layer diets at a level of 0.5 kg/ton helped in improving quail performance, carcass traits and egg production traits.