Impact of early feed restriction and continued supplementation with coated organic acid and essential oils on sustainability of laying performance, egg quality, fertility, hatchability, immunity status, and gut microbiota of Japanese quail hens

• Published in: Annals of animal science 2024-04, Vol.24 (2), p.503-517
• Main Authors: Abo El-Maaty, Hayam M., Attia, Youssef A., Alhotan, Rashed A., Al-Banoby, Mohamed A., Bovera, Fulvia, Sherif, Sara Kh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Age; Albumen; Biochemistry; Blood; Chickens; Coatings; Diet; E coli; Egg production; Eggs; Essential oils; feed restriction; Fertility; Hatchability; Hemagglutination inhibition; High density lipoprotein; Immunity; Infectious bursal disease; Intestinal microflora; Lipids; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Oils & fats; Organic acids; Sustainability
• ISSN: 2300-8733; 1642-3402; 2300-8733
• DOI: 10.2478/aoas-2024-0003

Three hundred and sixty, 42-day-old Japanese quail (JQ) hens were randomly divided into six experimental groups with 5 replicates/group. Each replicate consisted of 12 birds (8 females and 4 males). During the growing period, chickens were fed restricted (FR) during only the second week of age at days 7, 9, 11, and 13. Three levels of FR were applied: 0.0 (control), 12.5 (12.5FR), and 25.0% (25FR) of the intake of chickens measured on the previous day (groups 1, 2 and 3). In the other three groups (4, 5 and 6) the control, 12.5FR and 25.0FR diets were supplemented with coated organic acid + essential oils (COAWEO ) at 100 g/ton feed. The trial lasted from 6 to 18 weeks of age. Feed intake was significantly reduced by 12.5% FR compared with the control group. FR improved all external and internal egg quality of JQ hens except for egg weight, while albumen % decreased in the group fed 12.5FR diet. Coated organic acid with essential oils did not affect all JQ hens’ external and internal egg quality. Feed restriction did not affect fertility, pipped and dead chicks, and hatchability, as total and fertile egg percentage. COAWEO increased fertility and hatchability percentage. FR did not affect blood serum biochemistry and immunity characteristics except for high density lipoprotein (HDL) and hemagglutination inhibition test for infectious bursal disease virus (HI IBDV). Coated organic acid with essential oils did not affect quail blood characteristics but significantly decreased total lipids and increased IL6 at 18 weeks of age. Dietary COAWEO decreased , and while increasing counts. It can be concluded that 25.0% FR supplemented with COAWEO considerably improved the sustainability of productive performance of JQ hens without adverse effects on egg production, quality, fertility and hatchability traits, serum biochemistry and immune markers, and gut microbiota.