Effect of different levels of mineral, chelate and nano iron resources supplementation to diet on performance, tissue iron reserves and meat quality of Japanese quail

In order to evaluate the effects of different levels of mineral salts, chelates and nano iron resources supplementation to diet on performance, tissue iron reserves and meat quality of Japanese quails, an experiment was carried out using 400 Japanese quails in a completely randomized design with 10 experimental treatments and 4 replicates. The experimental treatments consisted of one basal diet without iron supplement (control) and basal diets supplemented with levels of 60, 90 and 120 mg/kg of sulfate, chelate and nano iron. Birds fed 120 mg chelate of iron had more weight gain than control, 60 and 120 mg sulfate (P<0.05). Nutrition of 90 and 120 mg Nano iron improved feed conversion ratio compared to controls, sulfate and 60 mg chelate iron. Birds fed with diet containing 90 and 120  mg chelate and 120  mg nano iron had more iron accumulation in breast meat than sulfate and control groups (P<0.05). The group of 120 mg chelate iron had higher water holding capacity than control, 60 mg and 90 mg sulfate, 60 mg chelate and 90 mg nano iron treatments, and lower amount of malondialdehyde than control and 60 mg sulfate iron groups. The group of 120 mg nano iron had higher iron in the liver and blood serum, and lower cooking loss compared to the control (P<0.05). Effect of experimental treatments on feed cost were not significant. In this study, various forms and levels of iron had a variable effect on the studied parameters.