Choline and digestible methionine + cystine supplementation for quail in the laying phase

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of levels of choline and digestible methionine + cystine in diets for quail in the laying phase. A total of 280 Japanese laying quail were assigned to one of eight treatments in a completely randomized design in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of dietary supplementation with four levels of choline (0.0, 0.042, 0.084 and 0.126%) and two levels of digestible methionine + cystine (0.857 and 0.685%), with five replicates and seven birds per plot. The experimental period was 84 days, represented by four 21-day evaluation cycles in which quail performance and egg quality were evaluated. There was no interaction effect between the factors for any of the studied variables, except quail weight. The highest tested levels of methionine + cystine and choline supplementation improved egg weight, feed conversion egg mass?1 and yolk percentage. By contrast, albumen percentage decreased linearly as choline inclusion in the diet was elevated. The choline supplementation levels induced a quadratic response from eggshell percentage, whose optimum result was estimated at the choline level of 0.05% in the diet. Egg specific gravity decreased linearly as choline supplementation was increased. The indicated level of digestible methionine + cystine in the diet of Japanese quail in the laying phase is 0.857%, while choline should be supplemented at 0.126%.

Performance, Egg Quality, and Yolk Antioxidant Capacity of the Laying Quail in Response to Dietary Choline Levels

“…Variations in the energy, protein, and fat content of the feed could affect egg production. Conversely, Griep Junior et al [ 18 ] reported that the administration of choline at levels up to 1260 mg/kg to laying quails improved feed efficiency without changing feed intake or egg production. Khairani et al [ 12 ] revealed that the addition of 1500 mg/kg choline to low methionine quail diets had a positive impact to enhance egg production and egg weight, but had no effect on feed intake.…”

“…Another researcher [ 31 ] expressed that the supplementation of choline at levels up to 1260 mg/kg to laying hens did not affect egg quality, except for eggshell breaking strength. Griep Junior et al [ 18 ] reported that the maximum eggshell weight in quails was obtained with the addition of 840 mg/kg choline to the diet, but this effect was not observed for the Haugh unit. Zhai et al [ 33 ] found that the choline level of the diet improved albumen and yolk color score.…”

“…Ameen et al [ 9 ] demonstrated that choline levels in the diet of 1800−1950 mg/kg increased both egg production and egg mass. On the other hand, Griep Junior et al [ 18 ] reported that the 1260 mg/kg level of choline should be added to the diet of quails for maximum egg production and egg weight.…”