Feeding tobacco waste flour as a feed additive to evaluate quail performances and physical qualities of quail eggs under the tropics

Abstract

This research aimed to assess quail performances and physical qualities of quail eggs which fed various level additions of tobacco waste flour in laying quail diets for the first couple weeks of maintenance under tropical environment. This research used layer quail aged 85 days with bodyweight around 205.15±22.61 g/bird as experimental animals. It was as many as 240 birds that were randomly divided based on 4 treatment levels with 6 repetitions. Treatment levels of tobacco waste flour (TWF) additives were formulated rations without TWF (0% TWF, T1 as negative control); formulated rations with 1.5% TWF (T2); formulated rations with 3% (T3) and commercial feed (0% TWF, T4 as positive control). This research was designed using a CRD pattern. Quail housed in colony cages were fed rations with 4 treatment levels according to the quail standard necessity and ad-libitum access to drinking water. The parameters observed were quail performances which consisted of daily feed intake, quail day production, and physical qualities (egg weight, egg shape index, yolk color, and haugh unit [HU]) of quail eggs. Results denoted that treatment levels were strongly significant (P<0.05) on the daily feed intake but had a similar (P>0.05) percentage of quail day production. It also presented a significant result (P<0.05) on all parameters of physical qualities, except on HU. They indicated that the inclusion of TWF in the quail diet under tropical environments was able to streamline daily intake, and maintain egg production stability, but did not adverse physical qualities of quail eggs.