| Abstrakt: |
The effect of diets enhanced with waterleaf on the performance, carcass, organs and sensory indices of broiler quails were studied. Broiler finisher diets were supplemented with waterleaf at WLO or control diet (100% broiler finisher), WL20 (80% broiler finisher + 20% waterleaf) and WL40 (60% broiler finisher + 40% waterleaf). Ninety (90) 3-weeks old mixed sex Japanese quails were used for the study. They were shared into 30 quails per group and 10 quails per replicate. Each group was fed one of the three diets for 3 weeks in Completely Randomized Design. Feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass, organs and organoleptic indices were measured using standard methods. The initial weight (g/bird), daily weight gain, weekly weight gain, final weight, average total weight gain, daily feed intake, weekly feed intake and average total feed intake g/bird ranged from 64.92-67.84, 2.96-3.53, 20.71-24.70, 147.77-164.15, 82.85-98.79, 24.51-35.01, 171.59-245.05 and 688.36-980.20, respectively, while feed conversion ratio, cost of feed consumed and cost of weight gain ranged from 7.04-11.87, 222.38-342.29/g and 2.28-4.14/g, respectively. The liver, gizzard, heart, intestine and others (pancreas + duodenum + spleen) ranged from 1.19- 2.32%, 2.33-2.73%, 4.30-7.20%, 0.68-1.01% and 9.77-13.98%, respectively while fasted live weight, slaughter weight, defeathered weight (DFW), and percent breast, drumsticks, back, thighs, wings, neck, head, shanks, ranged from 143.00-155.00g/bird, 139.33-151.00g/bird, 136.00-147.00g/bird, 23.80-26.84%, 6.82-7.64%, 12.09- 13.91%, 9.53-10.38%, 9.37-10.02%, 5.00-5.81%, 4.19-5.22% and 1.36-1.97%, respectively. The meat colour, aroma, flavor, juiciness, texture, tenderness and general acceptability values ranged from 3.67-3.33, 4.00-3.67, 3.33-3.00, 3.0-03.00, 3.33- 3.00, 3.33-2.67 and 4.67-4.33, respectively. Supplementing quail diets with waterleaf had no effect (p>0.05) on weight gain, organ weights, carcass characteristics and sensory indices, but increased feed intake, feed conversion ratio, cost of feed consumed and cost of weight gain. In conclusion, waterleaf can be added to quail diets at 20%, but the waterleaf should be cultivated on-farm to minimize cost of feed consumed and cost of weight gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
