Carcass characteristics and meat quality of Japanese quails as influenced by Canarium schweinfurthii (Atili)-based diets

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of Canarium schweinfurthii (Atili) based diets on carcass characteristics and meat quality of Japanese quails. One hundred and twenty day-old quail chicks were used. Initial weights were taken and quails were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments thus: 0% (T1), 2.5 % (T2) 5% (T3), 7.5% (T4) and 10% (T5) graded-levels of Atili leaf meal (ALM). Each treatment had 30 chicks with 3 replicates of 10 birds. Data obtained was subjected to analysis of variance. The defeathered weight, eviscerated weight and carcass weight were significantly different, with quails fed 5.0% Atili based diet having the highest value (94.46%) and least values obtained in quails fed 2.5% Atili-based diet. The head weight was significantly higher in quails fed 5.0% Atili-based diet (5.23%) with least value in quails fed 2.5% Atili-based diet (3.97%). The neck weight was higher in quails fed 10.0% Atili based diet (5.44%) with least value in quails fed 2.5% Atilibased diet (3.58%). Breast, drumstick and thigh weights were significantly higher in quails fed 5.0% Atili-based diet (25.62%, 6.94% and 9.69% respectively). Quail meat from birds fed 5.0% Atili-based diet had the highest pH, water holding capacity and oxidative rancidity (7.00, 53.33% and 2.27mg/kg respectively). Meat from birds fed 5.0% Atili-based diet had the least values for cooking loss in all the muscle types. In conclusion quails can be fed with Atili leaf meal up to 5.0% due to higher values obtained from both the carcass characteristics and meat quality.