MVSc

An experiment was carried out to study the effect of dietary supplementation of turmeric and tulasi on production performance of Japanese quail layers. One hundred and sixty Japanese quails at 6 weeks of age were allocated randomly to four dietary groups with four replicates of ten quails each. Quail layer ration containing 22 per cent crude protein and 2650 kcal ME per kg feed formed the control diet T1. The control diet supplemented with dried turmeric rhizome powder, dried tulasi leaves and a combination of both each at 0.3 per cent level formed the diets T2, T3 and T4, respectively. The experiment was carried out for five periods of 28 days each from 7 to 26 weeks of age.
The body weight at 6 and 26 weeks of age and the body weight gain during experimental period did not differ significantly between dietary treatments. Even though the age at first egg in the flock in dietary groups T1, T2, T3 and T4 was 48, 50, 49 and 49 days respectively, the mean age at 50 per cent production were almost similar in all dietary groups. The results obtained in the study revealed that period wise and cumulative mean values of quail housed and quail day egg number and per cent production, egg mass, daily feed consumption, FCR per dozen eggs and per kg egg mass did not differ significantly between dietary groups. The overall mean egg weight for three consecutive days towards the end of 10,14, 18, 22 and 26 weeks of age were non significant. Statistical analysis of the data pertaining to dressed, eviscerated, giblet and ready-to-cook yields revealed no significant difference between dietary groups. The loss of blood in dietary groups were significantly (P≤0.05) higher in group in T1 in comparison with group T4. While the mean values of feather loss showed no significant difference.
The dietary supplementation of turmeric and tulasi combination (T4) significantly improved the haemoglobin and total leucocyte count in comparison with the control group whereas total erythrocyte count revealed no significant difference. The mean values of total cholesterol in serum differed significantly among each other (P≤0.05). Egg yolk cholesterol in group T3 and T4 showed significantly lower values in comparison with T1 (P≤0.05). Serum protein level in various dietary groups did not differ significantly among each other. The overall livability per cent was not adversely affected in turmeric and tulasi fed quails. The cost of feed per egg was lower in T2 and T3 (Rs. 0.43) compared to T1 (Rs. 0.47) and was intermediary in T4 (Rs. 0.45).
The critical evaluation of the results revealed that the supplementation of dried turmeric and tulasi leaves separately and in combination, each at 0.3 per cent level in quail layer diets resulted in numerical increase in egg production leading to economical advantages.