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Carcass characteristics and meat quality of Japanese quails as influenced by Canarium schweinfurthii (Atili)-based diets


Olusegun D. Oshibanjo

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of Canarium schweinfurthii (Atili) based diets on carcass characteristics and meat quality of Japanese quails. One hundred and twenty day-old quail chicks were used. Initial weights were taken and quails were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments thus: 0% (T1), 2.5 % (T2) 5% (T3), 7.5% (T4) and 10% (T5) graded-levels of Atili leaf meal (ALM). Each treatment had 30 chicks with 3 replicates of 10 birds. Data obtained was subjected to analysis of variance. The defeathered weight, eviscerated weight and carcass weight were significantly different, with quails fed 5.0% Atili based diet having the highest value (94.46%) and least values obtained in quails fed 2.5% Atili-based diet. The head weight was significantly higher in quails fed 5.0% Atili-based diet (5.23%) with least value in quails fed 2.5% Atili-based diet (3.97%). The neck weight was higher in quails fed 10.0% Atili based diet (5.44%) with least value in quails fed 2.5% Atilibased diet (3.58%). Breast, drumstick and thigh weights were significantly higher in quails fed 5.0% Atili-based diet (25.62%, 6.94% and 9.69% respectively). Quail meat from birds fed 5.0% Atili-based diet had the highest pH, water holding capacity and oxidative rancidity (7.00, 53.33% and 2.27mg/kg respectively). Meat from birds fed 5.0% Atili-based diet had the least values for cooking loss in all the muscle types. In conclusion quails can be fed with Atili leaf meal up to 5.0% due to higher values obtained from both the carcass characteristics and meat quality.


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eISSN: 2821-9007
print ISSN: 2550-3421