The effect of feeding dried quail droppings in a low protein diet was
investigated in the quail at tile age of 1 to 26 weeks with respect to
Japanese quail performance and its reversibility after repeated trans
ition to a higher level of crude protein (Tab. I). The administration
of low-protein diet decreased quail body weight by 11.3% (P < 0.01) at
the end of their rearing - Tab. IV. Droppings feeding in this diet de
creased body weight by 5.5% (P < 0.05), but there was no difference at
a medium level. Droppings feeding made it possible to save 18.5% and
17.2% of grains per quail. Grain mix conversion at droppings feeding i
mproved by 12.5% (P > 0.05) and by 31.5% (P < 0.01) at a lower and hig
her protein content, respectively. Mortality was higher at a low-prote
in diet combined with droppings due to cannibalism (17.4%). The low co
ntent of dietary crude protein delayed sexual maturity. The low-protei
n diet decreased egg production by 22.2% and egg weight by 16.3% (P <
0.01) - Tab. V. Droppings feeding in the low protein diet reduced egg
production by 18.1% and egg. weight by 11.5% (P < 0.01), but there was
no difference at the higher protein content. Reversibility of egg pro
duction and egg weight, even when droppings were fed, was observed aft
er transition from feeding a low crude protein diet to feeding a diet
with higher crude protein content (Tab. VI). A decrease in dietary pro
tein resulted in the reduced weight of egg and its constituents (P < 0
.01), without a change in their ratios, and in an increase in egg shap
e index (P < 0.01) - Tab. VII. Feeding droppings and higher content of
crude protein led to a decrease in egg shell weight and proportion (P
< 0.05) while feeding the low content of crude protein in addition le
d to a decrease in albumen and yolk weight and egg shape index. On the
other hand, albumen index increased (P < 0.01). There were no signifi
cant changes in egg fertilization and hatchability. No significant dif
ference was observed in feed intake between the groups (P > 0.05). Dro
ppings Feeding made it possible to save 16.2% of grains per quail at t
he higher content of protein and 22.5% at low dietary protein (P < 0.0
1). Low-protein mix decreased feed conversion by 53.6% (P < 0.01). Dro
ppings feeding at a higher dietary protein reduced feed conversion by
5.2% (P > 0.05), while such a decrease made 35.5% at a low-protein die
t (P < 0.01). Grain conversion improved by 16.0% at a higher content o
f protein, and it remained worse by 8.4% at low dietary protein (P < 0
.01). A similar trend could be observed for droppings feeding in the s
econd part of the trial. In comparison with the high-protein mix, feed
ing the low-protein mix reduced protein intake per quail by 40.4% (P <
0.01). Crude protein conversion improved by 5.0% at a low-protein mix
ture (P > 0.05). When feeding droppings in combination with the higher
crude protein content, their conversion was lower by 4.6% (P > 0.05),
but it was lower by 36.6% (P < 0.01) at the low-protein diet. The liv
e weight of quails was lower (P < 0.01) in both groups with low-protei
n diet. Experimental diets did not influence quail mortality to a larg
er extent. It can be concluded that while feeding 20% of droppings in
feed mix with a medium content of crude protein (20%), at the isoprote
in and isoenergy content, did not result in any larger changes in perf
ormance, besides the improvement of grain mix conversion, feeding 20%
of droppings at a low-protein mix (12.5%) had negative impacts on near
ly all indicators of performance. Reversibility of egg production and
egg weight was observed after transition to uniform feeding.