| Abstrakt: |
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Coated Organic Acids with Essential Oils (COAWEO) supplementation on performance, carcase traits, blood biochemistry, antioxidant status, and gut microbiota of Japanese quail (JQ) fed restricted during the 2nd week of age. Five hundred and forty, 7-days old JQ were distributed into 6 groups with six replicates/groups. The feed restriction (FR) was applied only at days 7, 9, 11, and 13 of age. Two levels of FR were used: −12.5 and −25.0% of the amount of feed consumed by the control group (feeding ad libitum), on the previous day. The diets (control, FR12.5 and FR25.0) were fed with or without 100 g/ton of COAWEO. The results indicate that FR and COAWEO-supplemented diets did not affect weight gain, feed intake, and carcase weight. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved by FR during 7–42 days of age. The total bacterial and Lactobacilli counts in the caeca were, respectively, decreased and increased due to FR and COAWEO. Japanese quail can tolerate 12.5% FR without adverse effects on growth performance, carcase traits, blood biochemistry, and gut microbiota. FR25.0 group supplemented with COAWEO showed improved growth performance than the control without any adverse effect on carcase traits, blood biochemistry, and gut microbiota. Feed restriction can represent a way to improve the sustainability of poultry farms. The concerns about animal welfare can be overcome by applying feed restrictions for a short period. The combination short-period feed restriction/antioxidant supplementation can further improve animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
