Estimating the requirement of dietary crude protein for growing blue-breasted quail (Excalfactoria chinensis)

H.W. Wei; T.L. Hsieh; S.K. Chang; W.Z. Chiu; Y.C. Huang; M.F. Lin

Animal (Jan 2011)

Estimating the requirement of dietary crude protein for growing blue-breasted quail (Excalfactoria chinensis)

H.W. Wei,
T.L. Hsieh,
S.K. Chang,
W.Z. Chiu,
Y.C. Huang,
M.F. Lin

Affiliations

H.W. Wei: Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Lane 155, Section 3 Keelung Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
T.L. Hsieh: Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Lane 155, Section 3 Keelung Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
S.K. Chang: School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sector 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
W.Z. Chiu: Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Lane 155, Section 3 Keelung Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
Y.C. Huang: Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Lane 155, Section 3 Keelung Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
M.F. Lin: Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Lane 155, Section 3 Keelung Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 5, no. 10
pp. 1506 – 1514

Abstract

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Two experiments were conducted to investigate the requirement for dietary crude protein (CP) in growing blue-breasted quail (BBQ). In Experiment 1, 300 1-day-old quails were randomly assigned to 10 groups according to a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement of treatments with two metabolisable energy (ME) levels (12.13 and 13.39 MJ/kg) and five CP concentrations (160, 190, 220, 250 and 280 g/kg) for 8 weeks. In Experiment 2, 300 1-day-old quails were subjected to a different factorial arrangement of treatments with two ME levels (11.51 and 12.13 MJ/kg) and five CP concentrations (210, 220, 230, 240 and 250 g/kg) for 28 days. Experiment 1 revealed that an interaction existed in weight gain between ME and CP levels in weeks 1 to 4. In both ME groups, quails receiving CP of 160 g/kg showed the least weight gains (P 0.05) existed in weight gain between the ME groups in which quails ingested CP of 250 and 280 g/kg, whereas quails consuming CP of 220 g/kg with an ME of 13.39 MJ/kg had smaller weight gain than did those ingesting higher CP concentrations (P 0.05) in weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency was seen regardless of ME levels, and no interaction existed between ME and CP levels. In Experiment 2, the best weight gain and feed efficiency were achieved when the dietary CP concentration was more than 210 g/kg, and quails treated with 11.51 MJ/kg showed better weight gain and feed efficiency (P < 0.05) than did those that received 12.13 MJ/kg. Furthermore, the weight gains and protein intakes on the basis of per MJ from the two experiments were pooled together to estimate the protein intake necessary for the best growth performance by two mathematic models; they were then converted to dietary CP concentrations of 204 (minimum) and 233 g/kg (maximum) when ME was 11.51 MJ/kg. In conclusion, BBQ will achieve good growth performance with dietary CP of more than 204 g/kg on the basis of an ME of 11.51 MJ/kg in weeks 1 to 4.

Published in Animal

ISSN: 1751-7311 (Print); 1751-732X (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/animal/

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