Effects of Dietary Protein Level and Betaine Supplementation on Nutrient Digestibility and Performance of Japanese Quails

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of dietary protein levels and betaine supplementation on nutrient digestibility and performance of Japanese quails. In total, 765 Japanese quails were randomly assigned to a 3×3 factorial arrangement, with five replicates of 17 quails each. Three basal diets were formulated to contain three crude protein levels (16.5, 18.0, and 19.5%). Each protein level was supplemented with 0, 0.06, and 0.12% betaine. The diet with 16.5% dietary crude protein with no betaine supplementation resulted in the lowest crude fiber digestibility, while the 18.0% CP diet supplemented with 0.12% betaine generated the highest crude fiber digestibility (p<0.05). The diets with 18.0 and 19.5% crude protein increased crude fiber digestibility, but reduced ether extract digestibility (p<0.01). Moreover, betaine supplementation increased dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and crude ash (p<0.01) digestibility and tended to increase ether extract digestibility (p=0.09). The increase in egg weight for the 18.0 and 19.5% protein diets was correlated with a decrease in feed conversion ratio (p<0.05). However, feed intake and egg production were not affected by protein levels. Betaine supplementation enhanced all performance variables (p<0.01). The diets with 18.0 and 19.5% crude protein resulted in heavier yolks and eggshells than the 16.5% crude protein diet (p<0.05), whereas betaine supplementation increased yolk, albumen, and eggshell weight (p<0.01). The 18.0 and 19.5% protein diets produced similar responses in most evaluated parameters. Laying Japanese quails can be fed diets with 18.0% crude protein. Moreover, betaine supplementation provided several benefits, and particularly improved nutrient digestibility, performance, and egg quality.

Osmoregulatory function of betaine in alleviating heat stress in poultry

“…Dietary supplementation of 0.05%–0.20% betaine under high ambient temperature increases feed intake in breeders, laying hens, quails and ducks by up to 14.1%, which is associated with an increase in egg production up to 23.6% (e.g., Awad, Ibrahim, Fahim, & Beshara, ; Haryadi, Ratriyanto, Indreswari, & Nuhriawangsa, ). Moreover, egg weight and egg mass have been improved by up to 17.5% (e.g., Attia et al, ; Ratriyanto, Indreswari, & Nuhriawangsa, ), while feed conversion improves by up to 12.6% (e.g., Attia et al, ; Ratriyanto, Indreswari, Nuhriawangsa, & Haryanti, ).…”

Application of betaine as feed additives in poultry nutrition – a review

“…However, diet supplemented with different levels of betaine results in superior of feed conversion ratio (Tolba et al, 2007;Honarbakhsh et al, 2007;Zulkifli et al, 2004). Ratriyanto et al (2017) reported that betaine supplementation by 0.06 % and 0.12 % significant (P<0.05) increase in crude protein, crude fiber and have not any significant effects on dry matter. Similarly, dietary betaine supplementation was also shown to improve the digestibility of crude protein (Ezzat et al, 2011;Attia et al, 2016) and ether extract in laying chickens (Ezzat et al, 2011).…”

The effect of hatchery waste meal in ration on nutrient retention and performances of laying quails

“…Furthermore, as a consequence of the improvement in egg production and egg weight, feeding with HWM improved feed conversion ratio ranged from 6.5 to 24.5% (P<0.05). The lower feed conversion ratio indicated better utilization of nutrients (Ratriyanto et al, 2017).…”