The Use of Sesame Meal in Diets of Japanese Quail

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of sesame meal (SM) on performance and carcass characteristics of Japanese quail. One hundred sixty day-old Japanese quail chick were equally distributed into 16 cage pens and reared form 10 to 42 days of age. The treatments consisted of SM0, SM50, SM100 and SM150. The diet for SM0 treatment had no SM (control), while those for treatments SM50, SM100 and SM150 included 50, 100 and 150 g/kg of SM, respectively. Each dietary treatment was fed ad libitum to four replicate groups of 10 birds at the beginning of experimental period. Chicks and feed were weighed on days 10, 24 and 42 and carcass characteristics were measured on day 42. Results indicated that daily weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency were not significantly affected by experimental treatments. However, diet containing 150 g/kg SM improved the weight gain and feed conversion ratio of Japanese quail, numerically. The highest carcass weight was recorded for quails fed SM50. As well as, diets containing SM increased more the weight of gizzard and intestinal than control diet (P < 0.05). Thus, SM can be used as an alternative feedstuff in Japanese quail diets, at inclusion levels up to 150 g/kg without nega-tive effects on performance and carcass traits.