Animal (2011), 5:10, pp 1506–1514 & The Animal Consortium 2011 animal doi:10.1017/S1751731111000589 Estimating the requirement of dietary crude protein for growing blue-breasted quail (Excalfactoria chinensis) - H. W. Wei1, T. L. Hsieh1, S. K. Chang2, W. Z. Chiu1, Y. C. Huang1 and M. F. Lin1 1Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Lane 155, Section 3 Keelung Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan; 2School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sector 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (Received 11 August 2010; Accepted 15 March 2011; First published online 26 April 2011) Two experiments were conducted to investigate the requirement for dietary crude protein (CP) in growing blue-breasted quail (BBQ). In Experiment 1, 300 1-day-old quails were randomly assigned to 10 groups according to a 2 3 5 factorial arrangement of treatments with two metabolisable energy (ME) levels (12.13 and 13.39 MJ/kg) and five CP concentrations (160, 190, 220, 250 and 280 g/kg) for 8 weeks. In Experiment 2, 300 1-day-old quails were subjected to a different factorial arrangement of treatments with two ME levels (11.51 and 12.13 MJ/kg) and five CP concentrations (210, 220, 230, 240 and 250 g/kg) for 28 days. Experiment 1 revealed that an interaction existed in weight gain between ME and CP levels in weeks 1 to 4. In both ME groups, quails receiving CP of 160 g/kg showed the least weight gains (P , 0.05). No differences (P . 0.05) existed in weight gain between the ME groups in which quails ingested CP of 250 and 280 g/kg, whereas quails consuming CP of 220 g/kg with an ME of 13.39 MJ/kg had smaller weight gain than did those ingesting higher CP concentrations (P , 0.05). Of main effects for weeks 1–4, quails treated with an ME of 12.13 MJ/kg consumed more feed than did those receiving another ME level, whereas quails in both ME treatments showed similar feed efficiencies. For weeks 5 to 8, no difference (P . 0.05) in weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency was seen regardless of ME levels, and no interaction existed between ME and CP levels. In Experiment 2, the best weight gain and feed efficiency were achieved when the dietary CP concentration was more than 210 g/kg, and quails treated with 11.51 MJ/kg showed better weight gain and feed efficiency (P , 0.05) than did those that received 12.13 MJ/kg. Furthermore, the weight gains and protein intakes on the basis of per MJ from the two experiments were pooled together to estimate the protein intake necessary for the best growth performance by two mathematic models; they were then converted to dietary CP concentrations of 204 (minimum) and 233 g/kg (maximum) when ME was 11.51 MJ/kg. In conclusion, BBQ will achieve good growth performance with dietary CP of more than 204 g/kg on the basis of an ME of 11.51 MJ/kg in weeks 1 to 4. Keywords: blue-breasted quail, crude protein, metabolisable energy, requirement Implications Introduction This study aimed to establish the dietary crude protein The blue-breasted quail (BBQ) is the smallest quail in the requirement for growing blue-breasted quail (BBQ). The BBQ is family Phasianidae; it is kept mainly for egg production the smallest quail and is considered a good laboratory model and is considered to be a good laboratory model for avian for avian research because of its hardiness, small size, short research (Tsudzuki, 1994) because of its hardiness, small generation interval and excellent reproductive performance. body size, short generation interval, excellent reproductive There are, however, little data on its nutrient requirements. performance and easily distinguishable gender after 4 weeks Literature indicates BBQ are fed turkey starter, lettuce leaves, of age. Recent BBQ experiments have focused on hormones finch seed, tubeworms and/or larvae. If the BBQ is to become a (Andersson et al., 2004; Lo˜ hmus and Sundstrom, 2004; useful small animal model, similar to the mice, it is necessary to Lo˜ hmus et al., 2006), embryonic development (Ono et al., establish its nutrient requirements. 2005), disease (Morita et al., 1999) and flight dynamics (Askew et al., 2001; Askew and Marsh, 2001 and 2002). There are, however, little data on its nutrient requirements. - E-mail: mfl[email protected] If the BBQ is to become a useful small animal model for 1506 Protein requirement of growing blue-breasted quail Table 1 Ingredient composition and calculated analysis of diets (g/kg as fed; Experiment 1) ME (MJ/kg) 12.13 13.39 CP (g/kg) 160 190 220 250 280 160 190 220 250 280 Ingredient (g/kg) Maize (8% CP) 659 665 623.2 478.6 385.3 700 728.3 681.6 419.5 311 Casein (92% CP) 25.5 84.8 57 – – 21 77.6 50 – – Soyabean meal (44% CP) – – 109.9 391.4 479.6 – – 140.9 402.7 493.8 Fish meal (72% CP) 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 Soyabean oil 23.7 10.8 4.4 30.9 45.3 44.9 23.9 24.7 87.3 107 Salt 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Vitamin- and trace mineral-- premix 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 CaHPO4 19.1 19.1 17.7 14.2 13.4 18.9 18.8 16.9 14.3 13.5 CaCO3 17.5 17.4 14.5 14.5 14.3 17.6 17.6 17.7 14.4 14.2 Sand (SiO2) 144.7 124.4 70.8 8.6 1.7 86.3 54.1 – – – Choline chloride (50%) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 DL-Methionine 4.7 2.7 2.4 1.2 0.4 4.7 2.8 2 1.3 0.5 L-Isoleucine 5 2 1.6 – – 5.1 2.2 1 – – L-Lysine 8.2 2.5 1.9 – – 8.5 3 1.1 – – L-Threonine 5.7 3.2 3 0.6 – 5.8 3.3 2.2 0.5 – L-Phenylalanine 8.3 1.9 1.1 – – 8.5 2.2 – – – L-Arginine 8.4 5.8 3.2 – – 8.4 5.8 1.9 – – L-Tryptophan 1.1 0.4 – – – 1.1 0.4 – – – L-Valine 3.3 – – – – 3.4 – – – – L-Leucine 5.3 – – – – 5.3 – – – – L-Histidine 0.5 – – – – 0.5 – – – – L-Glutamic acid – – 29.3 – – – – – – – Total 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 Analysis (g/kg) Dry matter 897.2 895.4 884.9 870.5 876.5 895.3 886.3 875.9 880.1 893.4 CP 153.2 190.0 236.6 263.0 294.8 173.6 192.5 228.8 265.2 293.8 Calculated value (g/kg) Lysine 13.0 13.0 13.0 14.5 16.6 13.0 13.0 13.0 14.7 16.8 Methionine1cysteine 9.4 9.4 9.4 9.4 9.4 9.4 9.4 9.4 9.4 9.4 Threonine 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.9 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.9 Tryptophan 2.2 2.2 2.3 3.6 4.2 2.2 2.2 2.6 3.7 4.3 ME 5 metabolisable energy. - Vitamins per kilogram of diet: retinyl acetate, 4500 IU; cholecalciferol, 1000 ICU; DL-a-tocopheryl acetate, 30 IU; Vitamin K3, 2 mg; Vitamin B1, 3.36 mg; Vitamin B2, 6 mg; Vitamin B , 4.86 mg; Ca-pantothenate, 54.59 mg; folic acid, 2.04 mg; biotin, 0.3 mg; niacin, 50 mg and Vitamin B , 0.01 mg. - 6 12 - Mineral supplement per kilogram of diet: Cu (CuSO4 Á 5H2O, 25.45% Cu), 5.55 mg; Fe (FeSO4 Á 7H2O, 20.09% Fe), 133.34 mg; Mn (MnSO4 Á H2O, 32.49% Mn), 67.32 mg; Zn (ZnSO4 Á 7H2O, 22.74% Zn), 55.03 mg and Se (NaSeO3 Á 5H2O, 30.03% Se) 0.15 mg. research, as is the mouse, it is necessary to establish its nutrient different colours and numbers for identification, and weighing requirements for the preparation of practical or synthetic feed. 3.80 6 0.40 g, were raised in 30 individual cages (48 3 33 cm2) As protein is a major nutrient for growth and maintenance holding10birdseach,accordingtoa23 5 factorial arrange- (Pond et al., 2005), establishing its requirement should be ment of treatments with 2 ME levels (12.13 and 13.39 MJ/kg) the first priority. The aim of this research was to estimate the and 5 CP concentrations (160, 190, 220, 250 and 280 g/kg). As requirement of dietary crude protein (CP) for growing BBQ. it is very difficult to distinguish the genders of newly hatched As the dietary metabolisable energy (ME) concentration quails, the 1-day-old quails were assigned to each pen at ran- affects protein utilisation, the possibility of an effect of ME dom. After 4 weeks of age, the genders of the quail were concentration on CP requirements was also investigated. recognised by their appearance. Data from 132 females and 134 males were analysed. These numbers exclude animals that died during the experiment, most of whom were in the lower Material and methods CP treatments. The temperature in each brooder was main- Experiment 1 tained at 40 6 18C for the first 2 weeks (Bernstein, 1971), and A total of 300 1-day-old quails from a flock reared at National was subsequently decreased by 28Cevery2daysto308C.