Influences of dietary supplementation of antimicrobial cold pressed oils mixture on growth performance and intestinal microflora of growing Japanese quails

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of dietary supplementation of antimicrobial cold pressed oils mixture [1:1:1 of Nigella sativa, cloves and rosemary (NCR)] at levels of 0.75 and 1.5 g kg -1 diet, on growth performance, carcass traits and some microbiological aspects for growing Japanese quails. A total number of 225 growing Japanese quails one week old were used in a complete randomized design experiment with three treatments. Final live body weight was significantly (p<0.01) higher by 2.89% in quails fed diet supplemented with 1.5 g NCR oil compared to those fed the control diet. Feed intake increased statistically (p<0.01) as the level of oil mixture supplement increased. The best feed conversion of 2.87 was associated with 1.5 g oil during period 3-6 weeks of age, whilst the control group gave the best feed conversion within the whole period (1-6 weeks of age) followed by the experimental group treated with 1.5 g NCR oil. Feeding quails on a diet enriched with 1.5 g NCR oil resulted in the best carcass percentage which increased by 3.72% compared to those fed the control diet. The populations of Total Bacterial Count (TBC), coliforms and Escherichia coli in ileum, ceca and feces were fewer (p<0.05) in quails fed diet supplemented with NCR oil mixtures (1.5 g w/w) compared with the control diet. In conclusion, the dietary supplementation of antimicrobial cold pressed oils mixture by 1.5 g kg ‑1 showed the potential to enhance the growth performance and reduce intestinal and excreta pathogenic bacteria in quails.