The effect of using high levels of fumaric acid and tartaric acid in the diet on the performance, slaughter characteristics and bone parameters of growing quails

This study aimed to determine the effects of high (10 g/kg) level of fumaric acid and tartaric acid in the diet on performance, slaughtering characteristics, some internal organ weights, and bone parameters in growing quail. The study was conducted in three treatment groups with six replicates containing 20 quail chicks each, consisting of control (no supplement), 10 g/kg fumaric acid supplement, and 10 g/kg tartaric acid supplement. A total of 360 quail chicks, mixed-sex and day-old age, were fed ad libitum with the treatment diets for five weeks. In the study, feed intake, body weight, body weight gain (P<0.01), and small intestine ratio (P<0.05) were significantly in the group added tartaric acid supplementation compared to the control and fumaric acid groups. Mortality, shear force, and shear energy (peak) (P<0.05) were significantly lower in the tartaric acid group compared to the control group. Bone cross-sectional area (P<0.05) and ash content (P<0.01) decreased with the use of high levels of organic acids in the diet. In the study, feed conversion ratio, carcass ratio, thigh+back ratio, liver ratio, heart ratio, pancreas ratio, gizzard ratio, proventriculus ratio, testis ratio, caecum ratio, bone diameter, bone wall thickness, shear stress, and shear energy (total) were not affected by the treatment groups (P>0.05). In conclusion, it was determined that the use of fumaric acid and tartaric acid at 10 g/kg in growing quail diets negatively affected bone properties. The use of fumaric acid at 10 g/kg tended to improve performance, while the use of tartaric acid at 10 g/kg negatively affected performance.