Effect of Vitamin E and the Type of Dietary Fat on performance and Meat Quality Traits of Japanese Broiler Quail

This research was conducted with the aim of studying the effect of vitamin E and the type of dietary fat on the growth performance and qualitative traits of meat of Japanese quail. The experiment was conducted with 320 one-day-old quails in the form of a completely randomized design with 20 experimental units including 5 treatments, 4 repetitions and 16 quail chicks (male and female) in each repetition. Experimental treatments include: 1. basic diet without vitamins and fat (control), 2. Basic diet containing 2% soybean oil, 3. Basic diet containing 2% tallow oil, 4. Basic diet containing 2% soybean oil and 200 mg/kg vitamin E 5. The basic diet contained 2% tallow oil and 200 mg/kg of vitamin E. The weight of the quails was measured at the end of each week and the feed consumed in each week was determined. On day 35, two birds were selected and slaughtered from each experimental unit and thigh and breast meat samples from both birds were used to evaluate meat quality parameters. The results showed that in the first and second week, fat and vitamin E did not affect the weight of the birds (p > 0.05). In the third, fourth and fifth week and the whole period, the level of 2% tallow oil and 200 mg of vitamin E caused an increase in the weight of the birds compared to the control treatment (p < 0.05). In the third, fourth and fifth weeks, the lowest feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were observed in birds that received 2% level of tallow oil and soybean oil along with 200 mg of vitamin E. The effect of experimental treatments on pH, humidity, storage capacity and Malon dialdehyde was not significant (p > 0.05). In general, the use of 2% tallow oil along with 200 mg/kg of vitamin E in the diet of birds improved the growth performance.