ISSN 2285-5750, ISSN CD-ROM 2285-5769, ISSN-L 2285-5750, ISSN Online: 2393 – 2260
 

EFFECTS OF SUPPLEMENTATION WITHANIA SOMNIFERA L. ROOTS ON SOME EGG PRODUCTION AND QUALITY TRAITS OF HEAT STRESSED JAPANESE QUAILS

Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LIX
Written by Dhia IBRAHIM, Suad AHMAD, Shalal HUSSAIN

This study was carried out to investigate the anti-stress properties of local Withania somnifera roots, (WSR) in alleviating heat stress and improve egg production and quality in Iraq during summer season. The roots were used as ethanolic extract or crude powder. Ethanolic extract was done by using 70% ethanol. Three hundred Quail hens, 6 weeks (wks) old were used which were fed with standard basal diet containing 20% crude protein and 2903Kcal/Kg metabolizable energy and reared under high environmental temperature(27-37-27°C)and relative humidity (40-50%) and were randomly allocated to five groups as follows: Treatment (T0): control group without any supplementation; Treatment 1 and 2(T1,T2) quails supplemented orally with a dose of 50 or 100 mg/kg body weight(b.wt)/day ethanolic extract of Withania somnifera roots (WSRE; Treatment 3, 4 (T3,T4) quails received Withania somnifera roots as powder (WSRP) mixed with the diet at the rate of 1or 2g/kg diet respectively. At 7,9,11,13 weeks of age and the total average of these weeks egg production and quality traits were calculated. Quails supplemented with roots powder at the rate of 1g/kg diet. (T3) were significantly higher (p≤0.05) in total average of egg production (%) than those received ethanolic extract (T1 and T2). Also T3 was the best treatment in egg weight, feed conversion ratio, egg mass and albumin height. The supplemented groups T1, T2, T3 and T4 did not differ significantly from control in yolk index and Haugh unit. Egg tests during experimental period showed that there were no appearances of blood spot and meat segments, and no significant differences between treatments concerning with egg flavour test. We can concluded that little benefit in using (WSR) under heat stress to improve egg production and quality and the result favourite T3.

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© 2019 SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. SERIES D. ANIMAL SCIENCE. To be cited: SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. SERIES D. ANIMAL SCIENCE.

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