Effects of the Partial Replacement of Soya Meal and Wheat Bran with Cashew Nut Cake and Cashew Apple Bagasse on the Growth Performance and Feed Efficiency of Meat Quails (Coturnix japonica, Temminck & Schlegel, 1849)

Abstract

This study therefore aimed to evaluate the use of cashew nut cake and cashew apple bagasse in the diet of Japanese meat quails. Accordingly, 270 one-day-old quail chicks with an average weight of 11.02 ± 1.37 g were used. The quails were distributed according to a completely randomized design with three dietary treatments, each comprising three replicates of 30 quails per experimental unit. The experiment lasted 42 days. Three diets were used: a control diet (CD: commercial feed) and two diets labelled 25% and 50% (representing 25% and 50% inclusion rates of cashew apple bagasse and cashew nut cake, respectively). The control diet resulted in a higher final live weight (242.09 ± 23.43 g) (P < 0.05) compared with the D25% diet (194.13 ± 36.67 g) and the D50% diet (185.95 ± 33.30 g), whilst feed intake was higher than that recorded for the other diets throughout the experiment. Conversely, the average daily weight gain was higher (P = 0.002) at the end of the rearing period in the test diets: 5.25 ± 0.35 g/day (D25%) and 5.11 ± 0.18 g/day (D50%), compared with 4.02 ± 0.25 g/day for the control diet. Nevertheless, throughout the experiment, the ADGs were 5.5 g/day (CD), 4.36 g/day (D25%) and 4.17 g/day (D50%). At the end of the starter phase, the lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in the CD group (2.06 ± 0.13), followed by the D50% group (2.37 ± 0.49), whilst the D25% group had the highest value (2.52 ± 0.15), although there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). During the final week of rearing, the CD group recorded a significantly higher FCR (6.9) than the other groups (P < 0.05). The D25% group provided a favourable balance between growth, with a high average daily gain (5.25 ± 0.35 g/day), and feed efficiency, with a lower daily intake (23.61 ± 1.19 g/day) at the end of the rearing period. However, further studies on nutrient digestibility, egg-laying performance and economic evaluation of the diets would help to clarify their potential for use on a larger scale.