Magnesium Deficiency, Requirement and Toxicity in the Young Japanese Quail

Abstract

Studies of magnesium deficiency, requirement and toxicity in the young Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were conducted. Day-old birds were fed an adequate purified diet containing 35% soy protein to 2 weeks of age. Residual magnesium in the diet without any added magnesium salts was 21 p.p.m. magnesium was supplied by graded amounts of MgSO4 to a total of 11 levels ranging from 125 to 2,000 p.p.m. Deficiency signs included poor growth, and occasionally excitability, gasping and convulsions. Most mortality occurred during the first 7 days. The maximum dietary magnesium concentrations that produced the minimal significant deviation from normal values for mortality, body weight, hemoglobin and tibia ash was 225, 200, 250 and 250 p.p.m., respectively. Based on these measurements, 300 p.p.m. magnesium is considered adequate to meet the young quail's requirement under the conditions of these experiments. With 2,000 p.p.m. magnesium, the only adverse effect was an increase in mortality. Between 200 and 1,000 p.p.m. magnesium there was a linear relationship between concentration of magnesium in the tibia and the log of the concentration of dietary magnesium. This suggests that tibia magnesium concentration might be useful for bioassay of magnesium in foodstuffs.

Magnesium in the water of Japanese quails kept under comfort zone and under thermal stress

“…Part of the percentage of the magnesium ingested is fixed in the bones, and another percentage goes into the composition of the molecular mass and blood (Shastak & Rodehutscord, 2015); therefore, the concentration of magnesium in the water can help in the maintenance or gain of weight in quails under thermal stress. Harland, Fox, & Fry (1976) cite that 300 mg L -1 of magnesium was considered adequate to meet the requirements of Japanese quails of up to 14 days of age, and higher levels caused growth retardation and high mortality.…”

Effects of Magnesium Sources and Levels on Some Tissue Magnesium Concentration and Bone Mechanical Properties in Broiler

“…Thus, such values are difficult to consider in feed formulation but can be used for qualitative comparison among Mg sources. Harland et al (1976) reported that in Japanese quails, between 200 and 1000 ppm Mg there was a linear relationship between concentrations of Mg in the tibia. This suggests that tibia Mg concentration might be useful for bioassay of Mg in feedstuffs.…”