FEEDING (RECYCLING) OF QUAILS EXCREMENTS WITH DIFFERENT ENERGY CONTENTS IN FEED MIXTURES FOR JAPANESE-QUAILS

On Japanese quails of an age of 1 to 26 weeks, the effect of recycling of dried quail' s excrements (20 %) was investigated by feeding mixtu res of different energy contents (fat share 5 %, 7 %, and 9 % during r earing and 4 %, 6 %, and 8 % during the egg laying period). Quails fed excrements and a higher fat share (7 % and 9 %) had a lower live weig ht (P < 0.01) at the end of rearing (at the age of 6 weeks). By increa sing the share of fat, feed consumption decreased and feed conversion improved but mortality of quails at the beginning of rearing increased . Sexual maturity was delayed by 1 to 3 days. Egg laying performance i n experimental groups did not change significantly (P > 0.05), egg wei ght, however, decreased (P < 0.01), especially due to the lower-weight of yolk and egg white. Other indices of egg quality were not influenc ed (P > 0.05). Feed consumption was proportional to the level of egg p roduction, and feed conversion recalculated on egg matter was partiall y deteriorated (by 2.6 to 4.8 %, P > 0.05). The amount of excrements p roduced in experimental groups was by 17.0 to 23.1 % higher and the li ve weight of quails at the end of experiment was by 5.9 to 9.5 % lower (P < 0.01). The dressing percentage and mortality of quails did not c hange markedly. It can be stated that in feed mixtures for adult Japan ese quails containing 20 % dried quail' s excrements (with the calcula ted content of 7.42 MJ ME/kg), a 4 % share of fat can be recommended a s sufficient for securing a suitable energy content (I 1.71 MJ ME/kg).