Meat productivity of quails by feeding nanocrystalline cerium dioxide

Abstract

The use of nanomaterials in poultry farming has become increasingly popular as feed additives capable of increasing the productivity of the herd. Nanocrystalline cerium dioxide belongs to nanomaterials with a broad spectrum of activity. Owing to their oxygen non-stoichiometry and low toxicity, cerium dioxide nanoparticles are a very promising object for agriculture. The paper presents the results of studying the meat productivity of quails of the Pharaoh breed when drinking nanocrystalline cerium dioxide in the composition of the feed additive “Nanocerium”. The study was carried out on quails during the rearing period from 14 to 49 days. For the experiment, two groups (control and experimental) of 24 heads each were formed from one day old poultry. The quails were kept in a vivarium, in cage batteries, subject to the accepted microclimate conditions. Poultry of both groups received compound feed, developed taking into account age and physiological characteristics. With drinking water, the of the experimental group additionally received nanocrystalline cerium dioxide as part of the feed additive “Nanocerium” at a dose of 8,6 mg per liter of water for 35 days. The quail population was counted and weighed weekly, starting from the day-old age. The following indicators were determined: safety, dynamics of live weight, average daily gain in live weight. According to the results of the control slaughter and anatomical cutting, the weight of the carcass and the weight of the edible part were determined. Slaughter qualities and morphological composition of quail carcasses were determined by anatomical cutting with the measurement of the following parameters: pre-slaughter weight, half-battered carcass weight, carcass patrana, slaughter yield, weight of edible parts. Drinking the feed additive “Nanocerium” by young quails increased their safety by 4.17%, live weight and absolute average daily gain by 20.3 g and 0.48 g (P <0.05), respectively. The addition of NDC quails to drinking water contributed to an increase in their pre-slaughter weight by 19.3 g, half-gutted carcass by 18.0 g, and gutted by 17.5 g in comparison with the control group. The quail carcasses of the experimental group had a higher yield of edible parts in comparison with the poultry that consumed pure water. Key words: quail, nanocrystalline cerium dioxide, safety, body mass, gain, slaughter rates, output of edible part.