Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Blood Biochemistry and Immune Response of Japanese Quail Fed at Different Levels of Composted Poultry Waste

A 4-week study was conducted to evaluate the effect of including compost in the diet on quails' growth performance, carcass yields, blood biochemistry, and immune antibody response. A total of 1200 newly hatched quail chicks (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were randomly allocated to five treatment groups. Each treatment group contained 40 birds and experiments were replicated six times using a completely randomized design (CRD). The experimental diets consisted of increasing levels of compost (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%), but were otherwise iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA under CRD. Performance parameters, including feed consumption, weight gain, feed efficiency, and mortality at 28 day of age, were not affected (P>0.05) by the compost supplement to the diet. There were no differences (P>0.05) in carcass yield and relative weights of breast, thigh, wing, liver, gizzard, heart, and abdominal fat for chicks fed compost at any level compared to chicks fed the control diet. Although, a slight reduction in breast and thigh weights was observed in chicks fed compost at 10% level compared to control chicks, but statistically this difference was not significant (P>0.05). Similarly, there were no differences (P>0.05) in serum biochemical indices, and immune-related parameters among the diets. The experimental group fed compost at 10% showed the lowest (P=0.0001) feed cost per kg weight gain compared to control group. These results indicate that it is possible to feed diets containing up to 10% compost to growing meat quails without compromising growth performance, carcass characteristics, serum biochemical indices, and immune antibody response of meat quails. Furthermore, the inclusion of compost in quail diet may reduce feed cost per kg live weight gain.