Effect of using sage extract after experimental copper poisoning on performance and blood metabolites of Japanese quail

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of using hydroalcoholic sage extract after experimental copper poisoning on performance and blood metabolites of Japanese quail, in a completely randomized design with 320 one-day old Japanese quails in 4 treatments with4 replicates and 20 birds per each replicate. Experimental treatments were: 1) control (basal diet), 2) basal diet + 750 mg/kg copper sulfate, 3) basal diet + 10 g/kg sage extract and 4) basal diet with 750 mg/kg copper sulfate and 10 g/kg of sage extract. The feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured weekly and calculated for starter, grower and whole periods. The results of this experiment showed that in starter period, FI was highest in control group compared to other treatments (P <0.05). In the starter and total periods, the average BWG of birds that received diet contained copper was significantly lower than birds in control and the birds that received diets supplemented with sage extract (P <0.05). In the starter period, the FCR was improved when diets supplemented with sage extract in comparison with the birds that received copper (P <0.05). Higher levels of blood glucose and triglyceride and lower levels of HDL and LDL were observed in birds receiving copper in their diet (P <0.05). The results of this experiment showed that supplementation Japanese quail’s diet with sage extract can improve BWG and FCR in starter period, and it may alleviate harmful effect of copper poisoning.