The effect of different levels of pomegranate seed oil supplementation to the diet on fattening performance and carcass characteristics of japanese quails

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of pomegranate (Thymbra spicata L.) In the study, 135 Japanese quail chicks of daily age were used and the animals were taken into fattening trials for 42 days. The quails are divided into 5 different groups, each with 3 repeats and 9 chicks in each repetition. In the trial, the control group (0%) was fed with the basic diet, while the control groups were fed diets containing different levels of pomegranate seed oil. In the study, it was observed that the differences between the body weights, daily feed consumptions, weekly feed consumptions, weekly feed conversion ratios, additive feed conversion ratios, carcass weights and carcass yields in quails belonging to the control and treatment groups were statistically insignificant. Similarly, in terms of carcass parts and averages of internal organs, differences between breast weight, wing weight, neck weight, liver weight, heart weight and testicular weight were found to be insignificant. In terms of thigh weight, the highest weight of 37.7 g in female quails was measured in the group with 0.5% pomegranate seed oil, while the lowest weight was observed in the control group with 32.7 g (P<0.05). As male and female+male, it was determined that the averages obtained in terms of thigh weight were not statistically different. Differences between females in terms of ridge weight were found to be significant (P<0.05). The highest ridge weight was observed in groups with 0.5% and 1% pomegranate seed oil with 33.3 g, while the lowest value was 29.7 g in the control group. Differences between gizzard weights were found to be significant (P<0.01) as female, male and male + female mixed. The highest value of gizzard weight in females was observed in the group containing 0.5% pomegranate seed oil, while the lowest value was found in the control group. In males, the highest value of gizzard weight was observed in the group with 1% additive, while the lowest value was obtained in the group with 1% additive. If male + female mixed, the weight of gizzard was the highest in the group with 0.5% additive and the lowest value was observed in the control group. In conclusion, pomegranate seed oil added to the diets of quails at different levels did not have statistically significant effects on body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, carcass weight and carcass yield, but thigh weight, ridge weight and gizzard, it has been determined that there are some differences in terms of some carcass parts such as weight. It can be said that the use of pomegranate seed oil up to 2% in quail diets does not have a negative effect. Keywords: Quail, pomegranate seed oil, fattening performance, carcass characteristics