Effect of Safflower Meal Containing Microbial and Enzyme Supplementations on Performance, Meat Quality and Humoral Immunity of Japanese Quail

This experiment was conducted to assess the effect of safflower meal (SFM) containing microbial and enzyme supplementations on performance, meat quality and humoral immunity of Japanese quail. A total of 300 seven-days-old Japanese quails were assigned in a completely randomized design to five treatments, four replications and 15 chicks in each replication. The experimental treatments included 1) a corn and soybean meal based diet (control) 2) diet containing 20% SFM 3) diet containing 20% Fermented SFM 4) diet containing 20% SFM + Calsporin® probiotic at a rate of 50 mg/kg feed and 5) diet containing 20% SFM+ Endo-Power® enzyme to the amount of 125 mg/kg feed. The results of this study showed that the use of fermented SFM, Calsporin® probiotic and enzyme treatments improved weight gain and feed intake of chicks when compared to control group (P<0.05). The feed conversion ratio for the chicks in control group and quails receiving diets containing fermented SFM and SFM+ Endo-Power® enzyme was lower than that of other experimental groups (P<0.05). Birds fed with SFM had lower meat cooking loss (P<0.05). The meat water holding capacity and also antibody titer against sheep red blood cell (SRBC) were higher in treatment receiving fermented SFM when compared to control group (P<0.05). According to the positive effects of nutrition with fermented SFM and containing probiotic and enzyme supplements on performance, meat quality and immunity system of Japanese quail, this accessible and inexpensive source of protein could be used in quail diet.