The effect of utilisation black cumin (Nigella sativa) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum ) in laying quail diets on egg yield, egg quality and hatching results

This study was carried out for the purpose of determining the effect of utilisation black cumin (Nigella Sativa) and dry parsley (Petroselinum Crispum ) in diets on body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, egg production, egg quality and hatching results in the laying quails.This research took 8 weeks and performed totally on 210 laying quails as 140 female and 70 male at 14 weeks age old. The quails were randomly allocated in 7 dietary treatments one as the negative control group without any feed additives (GK), the others designed as 1.00% black cumin (G1), 1.00 % parsley (G2), 1.50 % black cumin (G3), 1.50 % parsley (G4), 0.50 % black cumin + 0.50 % parsley (G5) and 0.75% black cumin + 0.75% parsley fed (G6) respectively.In the study, egg production (%) was recorded daily, feed intake and egg weight was calculated weekly. Body weight was measured at the begining and at the end of experiment to calculate the average body weight gain. Egg quality parameters; shape, albumen and yolk index, Haugh unit and eggshell thickness and, egg yolk cholesterol value were measured using 70 eggs per each group (totally 175 eggs) for two times at the, middle and end of theexperiment. At the end of the study, 175 eggs were hatched to determine the hatchability.The body weight gain of female quails was found as - 2.2, -7.6, -6.5, -0.6, +7.1, +10.3, +6.2 g; GK; G1; G2; G3; G4; G5; G6 respectively (p<0,05), male quails body weight gain was calculated also as 6.4; -6.5; -7.4; +5.3; +4.6; +8.4; GK; G1; G2; G3; G4; G5; G6 respectively (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed among the groups (p<0.05).Average mean feed intakes of the groups were recorded as 29.9, 29.7, 29.2, 30.3, 31.2, 29.7 g; GK; G1; G2; G3; G4; G5; G6, the valves didn?t statistically differ among the groups (p<0.05).Feed conversion ratio was found as 2.0, 2.1, 2.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.2, 2.2 for GK; G1; G2; G3; G4; G5; G6 respectively (p<0.05) and no significant difference was observed among the groups (p<0.05).Egg production (%) was recorded as 83.5, 87.4, 85.7, 88.8, 88.6, 89.0, 88.9 % for GK; G1; G2; G3; G4; G5; G6, no significant difference was observed. Egg quality parameters (except the yolk index) and egg yolk cholesterol egg weight egg quality parameters levels were found similar.Hatchability percentage was found as 88.0, 88.0, 68.0, 36.0, 68.0, 56.0, 88.0 %; GK; G1; G2; G3; G4; G5; G6 (p<0.05) respectively. The differences were statistically significant among the groups (p<0.05).It was determined that the use of black cumin and parsley in diets have no significant effect on feed intake, egg production %, egg weight, the use of 0,50 % black cumin + 0.50% parsley or 0.75 % black cumin + 0.75% parsley for the body weight and body weight gain, 1.00% black cumin and, 0.75% black cumin + 0.75% parsley for hatchability, 1.00% black cumin and 1.00% parsley. For the feed conversion ratio it had positive effects. In addition, it was found that the use of 1.00% black cumin and 1.00% parsley and, 0.50 % black cumin + 0.50% parsley or 0.75 % black cumin + 0.75 % parsley fed diets had no any negative side effect on the parameters.As a result, it was found that the use of black cumin and parsley as together in the quail rations as feed additives have strong synergetic effect on body weight gain, egg production and hatchability. For this reason, the use of black cumin and parsley fed together could be profitable to improvement of performance of laying quail as the natural way.Keywords: black cumin, parsley, quail, egg, performance