There are certain growth promoters like antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics and organic
acids etc. which can improve feed efficiency in chickens. The use of antibiotics as growth
promoter creates a huge problem for environmental conditions and health of consumers around the world. The use of organic acids as acidifiers is recommended as an alternative to antibiotics to control certain types of acid intolerance bacteria and growth-promoting agents in poultry production. Many studies have been done to study the effects of organic acids on performance of broilers and layers; however, little research has been conducted to study the impact of these growth promoters on quail growth performance. This study was planned to test the effect of organic acid acidifiers i.e. Salkil®® and Sal Curb Dry® on the quail production performance and their effect on blood calcium, phosphorus, cholesterol and quail carcass traits at Avian Research and Training Centre, Lahore. The analysis of feed, blood and meat was performed in laboratory of Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore. One standard (control) quail feed will be prepared (NRC 1994). Two different levels each of Salkil® acidifier i.e. 1 g/kg and 2g/kg of feed and of Sal Curb Dry® acidifier i.e. 1 g/kg and 2g/kg was incorporated in the standard feed to prepare five experimental feeds. A total number of 400 un sexed day old quail chicks were equally divided into five groups having 80 chicks in each group with four replicates having twenty chicks each. The group offered standard feed has served as control. The rest four experimental feeds with two different levels of SaIki!'!!) and with two different levels of Sal Curb Dry® were allotted to four different groups. At the end of
experimental trial which was of 28 days body weight, feed consumption, feed
conversion ratio, giblet weight, serum calcium and phosphorus, carcass traits ( analyzed for
meat moisture %, crude protein % and crude fat %) and blood cholesterol level was analyzed. To test the blood cholesterol level, two birds from each replicate were taken at random and blood samples were collected in heparinzed vacutainers from jugular vein after slaughtering. Dressing percentage was also recorded along with economics value of quail meat. The values of weight gain in group A, B, C, D, E and F was found 140.783 ±6.24,
147.5Sbc ±3.45, 151.56c ±4.84, 143.92ab± 4.98 and 147.88bc ±5.17 respectively .. The group C which was fed Salkil® 2g/kg of feed showed maximum weight gain followed by group E, B, D and A respectively. When the data was statistically analyzed on weekly basis there was non- significant (p>0.05) difference among different treatments groups except at second week. The values of feed conversion ratio in all the five groups were 2.859b ±O.l3. 2.769ab ±O.l90, 2.734a ±O.12, 2.S17ab ±0.093 and 2.772ab ±0.14 respectively. The treatment groups which received the acidifiers significantly (p<0.05) improved the FCR. The values for giblet weight in the above mentioned groups were 9.l7a±0.58, 9.25a ±0.33, 9.44a ±0.26, 9.23a ±0.41 and 9.45a ±0.51 gm respectively. The values for calcium were found to be 10.98a±1.01, 11.33a±0.62, 10.33a±0.S7, lO.95a±1.13 and 11.22a±1.39 mg/dl respectively while for Phosphorous 5.01 a ±0.37, 4.99a ±0.71. 5.2Sa ±0.49, 5.0Sa± O.SI and 5.21 a ±0.21 mg/dl respectively. The values for serum cholesterol
level in the five groups 130c ±5.00, 125bc ±6.00, 113a ±6.00, 127bc ±7.00 and 121 b ±7.27 rng/dl respectively. Serum cholesterol level in group A is significantly higher. The average meat moisture. crude protein did not differ significantly but use acidifiers significantly decreased the fat deposition in meat.