Effects of Feed Additives on Biochemical and Immunological Indices of Blood and Performance of Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica)

The purpose of this study was to compare effects of the different types of feed additives consumption including probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics in Japanese quails. A total of 384 Japanese quail chicks were randomly assigned to 8 treatments with 4 replicates and 12 birds per replicate (cage). The experimental diets (treatments) were included: Basal diet without additive (control) and protexin 0.2 g/kg (probiotic), Yeast 2 g/kg (probiotic), Fermacto 1.6 g/kg (prebiotic), Tepax 1 g/kg (prebiotic), Biomin IMBO 1 g/kg (synbiotic), Protexin 0.1+Fermacto 0.8 g/kg (synbiotic), Yeast 1+Tepax 0.5 g/kg (synbiotic) which were added to the basal diet. feed intake and body weight was higher (P<0.05) in quail fed detail containing additives.. The best feed conversion ratio were observed in quails fed diets containing tepax, yeast, biomin IMBO and fermacto (P<0.05). The use of additives affected the blood glucose, albumin, globulin and immunoglobulins A and G levels (P<0.05). In the laying birds at the early stage of laying, the amount of blood triglycerides increased with diets containing synbiotic additives (P<0.01) The LDL level increased in females fed additive with exception of tepax and yeast+tepax (P<0.01). In male quails fed with the diet containing of the additives, the concentration of immunoglobulin M increased and HDL level decreased (P<0.05). The use of synbiotics and prebiotics improved the growth performance and increased blood albumin to globulin (A/G) ratio as an index of osmotic pressure in the blood. It is possible to use feed additives particular synbiotics while maintaining and improving the health of quails for organic meat and eggs production without the use of vaccines and antibiotics.