Miss. Jaruwan Jantaramanee The researchers Mr. Chanon Komkim Miss. Jaruwan Jantaramanee

(Coturnix coturnix japonica) Study on the use of Spirulina on growth performance and Cost production of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Adviser Mrs. Wallaya Joomee

Background of the study The recent trend in the feed business is currently directed toward the use of natural ingredients as alternatives to antibiotics, synthetic colors, and other chemicals. Spirulina (blue-green alga) is one of the high quality natural feed additives that can be used in animal and poultry nutrition. The Spirulina have been used as a food source for humans for hundreds years ago due to the excellent nutritional profile and high carotenoid and protein (between 55-65%) includes all of the essential amino acids (Bourges et al., 1971; Anusuya Devi et al., 1981).  However, published data could not be found on the growth performance of the quail. This study was conducted to determine the effects of Spirulina on live weight, growth performance, feed consumption, feed efficiency and cost production of the quails.

Nutritional profile of Spirulina Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in : Protein : between 55-65% (Bourges et al., 1971) Source of essential amino acids (Anusuya Devi et al., 1981, Ciferri, O 1983) Rich source of Vit.A. (Al-Batshan et al. 2001) Nutritional profile of Spirulina

Material and Methods One hundred and forty four one-day-old quail chicks of mixed sex (as hatched) were assigned randomly to 4 treatments, with four replications of 12 birds per group. Average bodyweight were 8.64 ± 0.04 g/chick. Experimental feed was concentrate feed (38% protein) mixed with broken rice =1:1 (by weight)

60 Watt Lamp Weighing scale Feeder and Waterers

Experimental feed (23%Protein) Experimental cages Recording equipments

Spirulina preparing Fresh Spirulina 300 g Fermented with brown sugar 100 g Coconut juice 1.5 L Mixed well all ingredients for 3 wks

Experimental design The designs was used as 4 treatments, with 4 replications of 12 birds per group as follow: Treatment 1 0 CC Treatment 2 300 CC / 10 kg. feed Treatment 3 600 CC / 10 kg. feed Treatment 4 900 CC / 10 kg. feed

Result and discussion

Final weight (g/bird) g/bird Spirulina level

Spirulina level

Spirulina level

% Spirulina level

Cost Production Efficiency Baht Spirulina level

Conclution

The quails were fed with a basal diet as a control and 3 levels of fermented Spirulina with 300, 600 and 900 CC / 10 kg. feed. Diets were fed to the birds from one-day-old to 35 days of age. Quails fed with Spirulina treatment displayed better final weight. Feed intake decreased with the Spirulina treatment compared to the control diet. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed efficiency with the Spirulina inclusion diet showing a better result than the control. Therefore, the result of this experiment suggests that diets up to 900 CC / 10 kg. feed of fermented Spirulina achieve the best live performance. Feed cost was also affected by the Spirulina inclusion in the diets. However, the range for optimum inclusion of Spirulina was observed to have a positive effect on the growth performance and cost production. Inclusion of Spirulina up to 900 CC / 10 kg. feed is recommended.

Thank you for attention.