A six-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the replacement value of Cassava meal for maize in a piratical quail diet. It involved ninety six day-old quail chicks housed in cages in a brooding house. Four isonitrogenous (22%mde protein) diets incorporating graded levels (0.0, 15, 25 and 35%) of cassava meal as a replacement for maize were tested. The diets were also isocaloric (280Kcal/kg  M. E.) and contained crude protein (25.53%; diet 1, 25.00%; diet 2, 24.34%; diet 3and 24.00% diet4) and were replicated three times. Feed intake weight gain feed/gain ratio and feed cost/kg gain did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) across the treatment. Feed cost decreased numerically across the treatments and was lowest for diet 4, i.e., the diet in which all the maize was replaced by 35% cassava meal. Feed cost/kg gain was numerically lower for diet 4 (146.34) than the other diets (233.16, 169.39, and 159.94).  Results of this study indicated that at dietary crude protein levels of between 24 and 25% and M.E. of 2800Kcal/kg feed, 35% cassava meal based diet was suitable for acceptable ‘growth performance in Japanese quail chicks in the first six weeks of life’

A 56-day feeding trial using 1836 day-old dominant brown strain pullet chicks was conducted to assess the effect of feeding different commercial chick vitamin-mineral premixes type at varying levels of dietary inclusion on growth performance, haematological and serum biochemical indices. The birds were divided into 12 groups of 153 birds each and each group was assigned to one of the experimental diets in a3x4factorial arrangement. Each treatment group was further subdivided into 3 replicates of 51 birds each. The birds were fed twelve iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets containing three commercial vitamin-mineral premixes types designated as XVM, YVM and ZVM, respectively. Each vitamin type was included at 0.15, 0.25, 0.35 and 0.45%, respectively Feed and water were provided ad libitum. A wide variation in the micronutrients and antioxidants levels exists among the premix type. Feed intake was not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments. However, final weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and cost per gain were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the premix type and their levels of dietary inclusion. Except for total protein and Haemoglobin, the results showed no significant differences (P>0.05) on the values of all the blood parameters measured. The study suggest the need to be careful in choosing premixes type for chick rearing as some of them may be deficient in some essential vitamins and minerals. It was concluded that the use of YVM premix type at 2.5 kg per tonne (0.25% inclusion level) was cheaper and more efficient in supporting the growth performance of pullet chicks.

Study on the effects of storage period on the hatchability of Japanese quail (coturnix coturnix iaponica) eggs was conducted at National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Hatchery Unit Vom. Three hundred and sixty (360) fertile quail eggs of normal weight (8-10g) from 4-month-old flock were divided into four groups (A, B, C, D). The first group (A) of ninety eggs were set immediately after collection (less than 24 hours), while groups B, C and D (90 eggs each) 7, 14 and 21 days respectively before incubation. Automatic cabinet electric incubator (WesternR) was used in incubating the eggs for 16-17 days at temperature of 99.7oF and relative humidity (RH) of 65%. All normal incubatory practices were observed. Average daily meteorological data was taken during the period of storage. Results showed that eggs incubated immediately after collection (group A) had the highest hatchability of 62% followed by 23% in those eggs incubated after 7 days of storage (group B). Eggs incubated after 14 and 21 days of storage (group C and D) had zero hatchability. Significant differences(P<0.001) exist between group D (21 days) and group C(14 days) with 23.3% and 11.1% respectively, while the least (6.7%) were in those eggs in group A. It was concluded that as in chicken eggs; Japanese quail eggs should not be stored for long periods.

A feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of varying dietary levels of protein on performance of Japanese quail chicks. Six iso-caloric (2953-3078 kcal/kg, ME) diets were formulated to contain crude protein (CP) at 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28% levels, respectively. Each of the dietary treatment was replicated three times with sixty (60) quail chicks per replicate. A total of 1080 day-old unsexed quail chicks were used for the study and distributed using completely randomized design. The experiment lasted 42 days during which data were collected. Feed and water were provided ad libitum throughout the experimental period. Feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein intake differ significantly (P<0.05) due to dietary treatments. Final live weight and cost per gain were not significantly (P>0.05) different across dietary treatments. Age at first egg and average weight of eggs at point of lay differed significantly (P<0.05) across dietary treatments. The haematological parameters (Total protein, haemoglobin, albumen and red blood cell) were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the dietary protein levels. Carcass weight, dressing percentage, prime cuts and the weight of major organs expressed as percentage of the live weight were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. It was concluded that Japanese quail chicks required up to 26% level of dietary protein for optimum performance.