Effect of Vitamin C Supplementation on Egg Quality and Production Traits of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) supplementation on egg quality and production traits of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Forty-eight laying Japanese quails were selected at 9 weeks from an existing flock and allotted to 4 treatment groups of 12 birds per group with 3 replicates in each group. Birds in treatment 1 served as the control group and were fed a basal diet (19% crude protein; 2700 Kcal/kg) with no vitamin C supplementation. Birds in treatment 2 were fed basal diet + 250 PPM vitamin C supplementation. Birds in treatment 3 were fed basal diet + 500 PPM vitamin C supplementation, while birds in treatment 4 had basal diet + 750 PPM vitamin C supplementation. Birds fed Vitamin C supplemented diets had significantly higher (P<0.05) feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and hen day production (HDP). Birds that were fed with 500 PPM vitamin C supplementation had the best FCR and HDP. Average egg weight (AEW), egg width (EW), yolk height (YH) and haugh unit (HU) were also significantly (P<0.05) higher in Vitamin C supplemented groups than the control group. Cost benefit ratio analysis showed that birds on 500 PPM vitamin C supplementation had the highest returns on investment. The results of this study suggest that the supplementation of diet of laying Japanese quail at 500 ppm in hot tropical weather had beneficial effects on egg production, egg quality and on the benefit: cost ratio.