EFFECT OF DIFFERENT DIETARY FAT SOURCES ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND BREAST MEAT QUALITY IN JAPANESE QUAILS

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of use various traditional oil sources (soybean oil (SO) or palm oil (PO)) and untraditional fat sources (short-chain fatty acids (FA) or distillated fatty acids (DFA)) in Japanese quail diets compared with control diets (without any fats source) on productive performance, slaughter and carcass traits, breast meat quality and blood parameters. Thus, each experiment investigated four fats by substituting them into a basal diet at the expense of the energy-yielding ingredients. At 7- day of age, 300 unsexed, Japanese quails were divided into 5 groups (60 quails each). Each group contained 3 replicates of 20 quails each. Five dietary treatments were distributed according to diets fed to quails consecutively during starter, grower and finisher phases. The experimental groups were: Basal diet without any fats (Control), Basal diet containing soybean oil as a fat sources (T1), palm oil (T2), fatty acids (T3) and distillated fatty acids (T4). The obtained result in this study revealed that 1. There were no significant differences among all groups in live body weight (LBW) and body weight gain (BWG), feed consumption (FC) and Feed conversion ratio (FCR) values during starter, grower, finisher or overall periods, Except starter FC of (T2) group. 2. Values of Energy conversion ratio (ECR), Protein conversion ratio (PCR), performance index (PI) and production efficiency factor (PEF) showed that all experimental groups are significantly similar to the control group. quails fed (T1) diet had better protein conversion ratio (PCR) but (T2) was the lowest values. 3. Quails fed (T4) which fed Distillated fatty acids obtained the highest values on percentage of carcass, liver, heart, giblets and weight of edible parts. Otherwise, No significant differences among all experimental groups in weight of bursa and spleen. 4. Quails fed (T4) diet had the highest percentages of breast meat moisture and saturated fatty acid values. While quails fed control diets, had the highest water holding capacity (WHC) and unsaturated fatty acid values. 5. No significant differences among all experimental groups in plasma total protein, albumin, globulin, total cholesterol, HDL, calcium or phosphorus, while plasma AST, ALT or LDL, was superior with quails fed (T4) diets. It could be recommended from this study to supplement 1,2 and 3% distillated fatty acids to quail diets in age up to 42 days for improve carcass characteristics and fatty acid profile of breast meat.