Growth, physiological, and molecular responses of broiler quail to dietary source, particle size, and choice feeding of calcium

Abstract

Two experiments were performed to explore the effect of dietary supplemental different sources and particle sizes of calcium (Ca) on growth performance, bone mineralisation, blood attributes, and calbindin gene expression in broiler quail. In experiment 1, 480-day old broiler Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were allotted to four dietary treatments based on a factorial arrangement (2 × 2) consisting of basal diets formulated either with limestone or oyster shell with coarse or fine particles. Supplemental coarse oyster shell impaired growth performance and Ca intake compared to coarse limestone (p