DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2020.v07i06.002

Pages: 115-124

The present study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of the substitution of wheat bran by maize bran on quail production performances. For this purpose, 240 day-old unsexed quails of similar body weight (6.86±0.68g) were divided into 15 batches of 16 birds. 5 experimental diets (T0, T1, T2, T3 and T4) were formulated on the basis of the level (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% respectively) of substitution of wheat bran by maize bran and each was randomly distributed to 3 batches in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments repeated 3 times each. At 7 weeks of age, 3 males and 3 females per batch were sacrificed for carcass analysis, data were collected on growth performances, carcass characteristics, and some reproductive characteristics. The main results showed that regardless of sex, the feed intake of the control treatment T0 (845.72±18.18g), was significantly higher than the values of treatments T2 (731.16±4.93g) and T4 (801.83±11.34g) but was similar to T1 (826.72±38.60g) and T3 (814.16±19.81g). In males, body weight ranged from 201.6±9.49g (T2) to 214.87±3.56g (T4) but did not differ significantly between treatments. In females, the body weight of the control batch (225.32±4.07g) was similar to the other treatments. Only the neck, gizzard, abdominal fat proportion relative to body weight were significantly affected by the substitution levels. The characteristics of testes and eggs remained broadly comparable. It was concluded that maize bran can be used up to 50% as a substitute for wheat bran in the diet of quails in the growing and early laying phases.