IMPACT OF DIETARY PUMPKIN SEED OIL ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, SOME CARCASS TRAITS, AND BLOOD ASPECTS OF GROWING QUAILS

This work was carried out to evaluate the impact of inclusion of graded
levels of Pumpkin seed oil (PSO) in Japanese quail diet as feed additive on
performance, Some carcass traits and blood aspects. Three hundred one dayold, unsexed quails (Japanese) chicks were randomly partition in four
treatments. Every treatment had 3 replicates of 25 chicks, The treatment one
fed the basal diet (with no PSO supplementation). However, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
treatment groups were fed diets combined with graded levels of PSO, 0.2,
0.4 and 0.6 % of diet, respectively as feed growth promoters. The data
showed, no effect (P>0.05) in body weight (BW), body gain (BG), feed
consumption (FC), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and some carcass traits.
Birds fed dietary 0.2% of PSO supplementation presented numerically but
not significantly enhancement in BW, BWG, FC, or the percentages of
gizzard and edible parts in comparison to other treatments. The control
group is for comparison and not to be superior to other treatments. Quails
fed dietary 0.6% of PSO supplementation showed the (P≤0.01) highest
total protein concentration of all dietary treatments, while quails fed dietary
0.4% of PSO supplementation recorded the lowest (P≥0.01) values of
triglycerides. Adding PSO to quails diet at all levels reduced (P≥0.01) HDL
and GPT but values were within normal physiological levels.