Effects of Herbal Essential Oil Mixture as a Dietary Supplement on Egg Production in Quail

Abstract

One hundred and eighty 7-week-old laying quail were fed various diets over a 12-week period. The diets included a control diet (without essential oil mixture (EOM) or antibiotics (ANTs)), a basal diet including EOM (24 mg/kg feed), and a basal diet including an ANT (avilamycin, 10 mg/kg feed). Each treatment comprised 4 replications with 4 cages (15 quail per cage), amounting to 60 quail per treatment group. Diets (in mash form) and water were provided for ad libitum consumption. EOM consisted of 6 different essential oils derived from the following herbs: oregano (Origanum sp.), laurel leaf (Laurus nobilis L.), sage leaf (Salvia triloba L.), myrtle leaf (Myrtus communis), fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare), and citrus peel (Citrus sp.). In comparison with the control diet, adding supplements such as EOM and ANTs to the basal diet increased egg production in quail (P < 0.001). However, egg production was similar between EOM and ANT treatment groups. Moreover, there were no differences between the treatment groups with regard to egg weight. Feed intake was not affected by EOM or ANT supplementation, whereas feed conversion ratio was significantly improved by EOM and ANT supplementation. Thus, we concluded that EOM has beneficial effects as a dietary supplement on egg production and feed conversion ratio.

Oxidative stability of chilled broiler breast meat as affected by dietary supplementation with rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) powder and vitamin E

“…In order to find effective substitutes to antibiotic growth promoters, several aromatic plants have been evaluated in poultry industry (Abudabos, Alyemni, Dafallah, & Khan, ; Khan, Naz, Nikousefat, Tufarelli, & Laudadio, ). These herbs, or their extract, show significant antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, and physiological modulation proprieties (Ardalan, Omid, Golnaz, & Mahdi, ; Çabuk, Eratak, Alçicek, & Bozkurt, ; Jang, Ko, Kang, & Lee, ). Moreover, natural extracts also can serve as natural antioxidant limiting lipid oxidation in meat and meat products (Dhama et al., ; Shah, Bosco, & Mir, ; Tufarelli, Laudadio, & Casalino, ).…”

İçme Suyuna Farklı Düzeylerde İlave Edilen Esansiyel Yağ Karışımının (Nane-Kekik-Anason Yağı) Bıldırcınlarda Büyüme Performansı, Karkas Parametreleri ve İleumun Histolojik Yapısı Üzerine Etkileri

“…For several years, the dietary use of antibiotics has been extensively used throughout the world as growth promoters in animal feeds, particularly in poultry products [1] . However, many countries have banned the use of antibiotics in animal feed as an additive since their use may lead to the antibiotic resistant bacteria which are harmful to humans [2][3][4] .…”

Effects of dietary phytoncides extracted from Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) cone on performance, egg quality, gut microflora, and immune response in laying hens

“…In accordance with our observation, it has been previously demonstrated that a diet containing an essential oil mixture (EOM) at 24 mg/kg diet improved egg production and feed efficiency and decreased the percentage of broken eggs in laying hens (Çabuk, Bozkurt, Alçiçek, Çatlı et al., ). Additionally, a study on laying quails also showed increased egg production and FCR by dietary EOM (Cabuk, Eratak, Alcicek, & Bozkurt, ). The improved egg production by dietary phytoncides seems to be related to its unique physiological properties on the function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.…”

“…Additionally, a study on laying quails also showed increased egg production and FCR by dietary EOM (Cabuk, Eratak, Alcicek, & Bozkurt, 2014). The improved egg production by dietary phytoncides seems to be related to its unique physiological properties on the function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.…”