ABSTRACT This study was aimed at determining the effects of dietary zeolite (clinoptilolite) supplementation on fattening performance, slaughter characteristics, and some blood and visceral organ parameters in Japanese quails. For this purpose, 140 (4x35) four-day-old Japanese quail chicks (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were randomly assigned to 4 groups with 4 replicates (9+9+9+8), and the study was continued for a period of 31 days. The groups were fed on a basal diet supplemented with 0% of clinoptilolite (control group), 1.5% of clinoptilolite (Z1.5), 3% of clinoptilolite (Z3) and 6% of clinoptilolite (Z6). For the female quails, the best blood TOS and liver TAS levels were detected in Z3 and Z1.5, respectively. For the male quails, the best blood TAS and liver TOS levels were determined in Z1.5. Histopathological examination demonstrated that dietary supplementation with 1.5% of zeolite had increased the height of the intestinal villi in both male and female quails, and had reduced hepatic lipidosis in female quails. Female quails displayed significantly increased levels of hepatic lipidosis in Z3 and Z6, and liver hepatitis in Z3. In result, it is suggested that zeolite, a hydrated aluminosilicate, in its form containing 90.2% of clinoptilolite, can be incorporated as a feed supplement into quail basal diets at a rate of 3%, owing to its positive effect on fattening performance. Furthermore, the use of zeolite may also contribute to maintaining animal health by reducing humidity in poultry houses and feed.

ABSTRACT This study was carried out to investigate selected traits of hatched and unhatched eggs and chick growth performance of yellow Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica). Eggshell temperature at the time of transfer to the hatcher was higher in hatched eggs (38.09oC) than in unhatched eggs (37.43oC) (p=0.000), lower in eggs with in early embryonic mortality (37.39oC) than those with late embryonic mortality (38.13oC) (p=0.000), and higher in eggs with female chicks (38.14oC) than those with male chicks (37.95oC). Lower eggshell, yolk, and albumen weights were determined in eggs with embryonic mortality of 17-18 days (0.58 g, 3.13 g and 4.96 g) compared with those with 10-16 days (0.67 g, 3.55 g and 5.58 g) and embryonic mortality of 1-9 days (0.75 g, 3.95 g and 6.19 g) (p=0.000). Lower egg weight loss was obtained in eggs with embryonic mortality (13.85%) of 1-9 days than those with embryonic mortality of 17-18 days (26.48%) (p=0.001). Females were heavier at chick weight (8.98 g vs. 8.63 g; p=0.033) and at 4 (231.81 g vs. 211.43 g; p<0.000) and 5(260.69 g vs. 231.87 g; p<0.000) weeks of age than males, and had longer left shanks (34.39 mm vs. 33.61 mm; p=0.004).

ABSTRACT This study was carried out to identify the effect of the egg shape index on the hatchability, performance, and carcass yield of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica ). Eggs were incubated in three groups, according to three different egg shape index (SI) values (Group SI-I: 70.00-73.85%, Group SI-II: 73.86-77.71% and Group SI-III: 77.72-81.57%). Unhatched eggs weight loss (HEWL) was correlated with the egg shape index groups (SI-I: 18.51%, SI-II: 13.34% and SI-III: 13.96%; p<0.01), but not with the initial unhatched egg weight (HIEW), hatched egg weight (HEW), or eggshell weight of unhatched eggs (HSW) (p>0.05). The live weight of female and male chicks hatched from SI-I, SI-II, and SI-III egg shape index groups were compared at weeks 4 (female/male: 249.12/237.77, 244.69/236.35, and 241.52/229.72 g, respectively) and 5 (female/male:304.89/272.42, 295.76/274.34, and 285.42/271.29 g, respectively), and the results showed that females were heavier than males (p<0.05; p<0.01; p<0.001, respectively).The effect of egg shape index on slaughter weight (p<0.05), left leg weight (p<0.05), liver weight (p<0.01) and liver rate (p<0.01) was significant. Females were heavier at slaughter than males in the egg shape index groups SI-I (p<0.05), SI-II (p<0.05), and SI-III (p>0.05) (female/male: 296.87/283.80, 287.95/278.00 and 283.86/278.10 g, respectively). Males presented higher carcass yield in SI-I (p>0.05), SI-II (p<0.01) and SI-III (p<0.05) (female/male: 74.40/75.92, 74.50/76.44 and 74.80/76.42%) groups than females. Egg shape index had no effect on initial egg weight (IEW), shell blunt end weight (SBW), chick weight, shank length, growth performance or carcass traits, but egg shape indexwas correlated with egg length, egg width, and hatchability of fertile eggs (p<0.05).