ABSTRACT This study determined the metabolizable energy of DDGS for broiler quails (Experiment I) and evaluated the effect of different dietary levels of DDGS on performance, carcass, organ weight, meat quality, and economic viability (Experiment II). In Experiment I, 72 broiler quails were randomly distributed into two treatments (reference or test diets). The experimental period consisted of 5 days of adaptation, followed by 5 days of total excreta collection. Experimental diets consisted of a reference or a test diet containing 800 g/kg reference diet and 200 g/kg DDGS. In experiment II, 432 unsexed broiler quails were randomly distributed into groups fed six levels of DDGS (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, or 250 g/kg). At 43 days of age, birds were slaughtered and evaluated for carcass yield, organ weight, and meat quality. Apparent metabolizable energy values corrected for nitrogen retention of DDGS were 2,488 and 2,466 kcal/kg for males and females, respectively. In the growth phase and the overall period, feed intake increased linearly (p=0.015 and 0.040) and feed conversion ratio worsened (p=0.038 and 0.001) with the inclusion of DDGS in the diet, respectively. A linear increasing (p=0.001) of gizzard weight was observed with increasing dietary DDGS levels, while the economic variables were affect depending on seasonal feedstocks prices. It is concluded that dietary levels up to 250 g/kg DDGS do not affect growth, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of broiler quails. However, the prices of ingredients in the harvest and off-season period should be considered to determine the level of inclusion of DDGS.

ABSTRACT Currently, feed formulations for quail are based on foreign data or data from other species; this undermines productivity with the use of excessive or deficient levels of some nutrients. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the nutritional requirement levels of calcium (Ca) and supplementation vitamin D in meat-type quail from 1 to 14 d of age. The experiment was a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments (levels of Ca: 0.42, 0.58, 0.74 and 0.90% and levels of vitamin D: 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 IU) with 3 replicate pens and 43 quails per pen. Weight gain increased quadratically with increased levels of Ca and vitamin D; this variable yielded estimated levels of 0.73% Ca and 2,883 IU vitamin D. There was no Ca x vitamin D interaction effect on bone variables. Bone Ca, bone phosphorus, bone ash, femoral bone strength, tibial bone strength and the femoral Seedor index increased quadratically with an increase in Ca levels. These variables yielded estimated values of 0.78, 0.71, 0.78, 0.77, 0.83, and 0.71% Ca, respectively. It is concluded that the requirements of Ca and vitamin D for the maximum weight gain of meat-type quails, in the period from one to 14 days of age, were 0.73% Ca (p=0.001) and 2,883 IU vitamin D (p=0.02), respectively.