The influence of moringa oleifera leave meal on the growth performance, meat quality and carcass characteristics of Japanese quail

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf powder supplementation on fattening performance, carcass and meat quality characteristics of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). The 480 chicks obtained from breeding animals at the end of incubation were divided into 4 experimental groups as control (no supplement), Moringa 2 (M2, 2% Moringa supplemented), Moringa 4 (M4, 4% Moringa supplemented) and Moringa 6 (M6, 6% Moringa supplemented). Weekly live weights, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, slaughter and carcass characteristics of quails were determined. The effect of ration treatments on weekly feed consumption was insignificant (P>0.05). Similarly, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the groups in terms of feed conversion ratio. Live weight gain in the second week of the experiment was significantly highest in M2 (41,87 g) and lowest in M4 (36,82 g) (P<0,05). While there was no significant difference between meat quality parameters (P>0,05), cooking loss, meat colour (redness a* and yellowness b*) and skin colour values (redness a*) and meat pH were numerically highest in M4 group. The highest carcass weight was found in control (169,83 g) and the lowest carcass weight was found in M6 group (166,23 g) but the difference was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). the lowest and highest carcass yields was found in M2 group (72,47%) and control group (73,05%), respectively. As a result, there was no significant effect of Moringa oleifera leaf powder on fattening performance and carcass characteristics in Japanese quails. It is thought that it is important to use more than 6% of moringa in the ration and to extend the fattening period in order to observe the effect of moringa more clearly.