Effect of Different Levels of Phytase Enzyme and Vitamin D3 on Production Performance and Egg Quality of Japanese Laying Quail

The use of phytase enzyme in poultry nutrition increases the bioavailability of phosphorus, improves the digestibility of nitrogen and amino acids and apparent metabolizable energy, and ultimately improves poultry performance. The aim of current study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of phytase and vitamin D3 on the production and quality characteristics of Japanese quail eggs.

540 laying Japanese quails were used in a completely random design with factorial arrangement with 9 treatments, 4 replications and 15 birds per replication. Experimental treatments included: 1. Phytase-free and 1500 IU vitamin D3, 2. Treatment containing 500 FTU phytase and 1500 IU vitamin D3, 3. Treatment containing 1000 FTU phytase and 1500 IU vitamin D3, 4. Treatment without Phytase and containing 2000 IU Vitamin D3, 5. Treatment containing 500 FTU phytase and 2000 IU vitamin D3, 6. Treatment containing 1000 FTU phytase and 2000 IU vitamin D3, 7. Treatment without Phytase and containing 2500 IU Vitamin D3, 8. Treatment containing 500 FTU phytase and 2500 IU vitamin D3, 9. Treatment containing 1000 FTU phytase and 2500 IU vitamin D3. Each treatment was assigned to four replicates of 15 birds according to a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement. The experiment duration was 56 days, with a 14-day pre-test period to select uniform quails for production. During the experiment, functional traits (egg production percentage, average egg weight, average feed intake, feed conversion ratio) as well as quality traits of quail eggs (shape index, haugh unit, yolk index, yolk and white weight, shell weight, shell thickness) Blood parameters (cholesterol, albumin, HDL, glucose, total protein, calcium and phosphorus) were examined.

The results of the experiment showed that in terms of egg production percentage, egg weight, haugh unit, egg shell weight and thickness, treatment 9 (treatment containing FTU 1000 phytase and 2500 IU of vitamin D3) showed higher values than the control group (treatment 1) (p<0.05). Also in analyzing blood indices, different levels of phytase enzyme with 2500 vitamin D3 levels (treatments 7, 8 and 9) increased blood calcium and phosphorus concentrations compared to control treatment.

The results of this study showed that Addition of phytase enzyme along with increased vitamin content (treatment containing 1000 FTU phytase and 2500 IU of vitamin D3) in Japanese quail diet, improve the percentage of production and average egg weight, quality of quail eggs and increases blood calcium and phosphorus.