Kerala, India
The nutrients that comprise a quail diet are water, protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals, and vitamins. Although all are essential, adequate water may be considered the single most important nutrient. Fresh clean water should be provided continuously to all birds, especially under the tropical environment. Quails require at least twice, as much in weight of water as they require in weight of dry feed. They may require more water if there are excess salts in the feed or during hot dry season.
Protein
Protein provides the amino acids for tissue growth and egg production. The dietary protein requirement of quail is influenced by metabolizable energy content and the ingredients used to formulate the diets. Earlier research has shown that a dietary crude protein level of 24% is needed in starter diet for quail and the protein content may be reduced to 20% by 3rd week of age.
Protein is the most expensive nutrient and must be provided from a high quality source. Protein quality is generally based on the amino acid composition of the feedstuff and the availability of these amino acids from the feedstuff through digestion in the gut of the quail.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are considered as the building blocks of proteins. Out of 19 total amino acids required by quail, 13 are considered as essential amino acids, because they cannot be produced in the quail’s body and must be supplied in the diet, and 6 are considered as nonessential, because they are synthesized by the body and need not be supplied in the diet.
The 13 essential amino acids are: arginine, cystine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine.
Feed Sources
Feedstuffs differ qualitatively and quantitatively in their amino acid composition. Quail diets consist mainly of plant materials. The most commonly used plant products are maize, soyabean meal, sorghum and rice or wheat bran. Methionine and lysine are generally low in plant products. Animal protein products such as fish meal, meat and bone meal etc., are good sources of most of the essential amino acids, but they are usually more expensive than plant protein ingredients. Synthetic methionine and lysine are usually added to the diets to balance the amino acid composition.
Energy
The amount of food intake depends upon the metabolizable energy (ME) content of the diet, age of the birds, their reproductive status and the ambient temperatures. An energy requirement of 2,600 to 3,000 kcal ME/kg diet for growing quail has been reported from temperate regions whereas, findings under tropical conditions indicated an energy requirement of about 2,800 kcal ME/kg for growing quails and 2,550 kcal ME/kg for laying quails. Though raising the dietary energy levels from 2,600 to 2,800 kcal ME/kg did not influence the gain in weight, it affected significantly the efficiency of feed utilization as the feed consumption was reduced significantly.
The main energy source is provided by the grains and cereals which are the main ingredients in most feed. Fat such as animal tallow, lard or other vegetable oils are added to the diet if high energy is required by the quail.
Vitamins
Vitamins may be categorized as fat soluble, (A, D, E, and K) and water soluble (the B-complex vitamins). Many vitamins are quite stable, but some deteriorate rapidly on exposure to heat, sunlight, or air. Housed quails are entirely dependent on the vitamins that are present in their compounded feed in the correct amount and proportions, for they have no access to the natural supply of these nutrients.
Vitamin A
The principal feature of vitamin A is its function in ensuring adequate growth and as a means of assisting in the birds’ resistance to disease. Vitamin A is essential for normal vision, egg production, and reproduction. Laying quails receiving insufficient vitamin A produce fewer eggs and eggs produced frequently do not hatch. For egg production and fertility of females, a level of 2,500 I.U. vitamin A/kg diet was required. The hatchability and survival of newly-hatched chicks were better with 3,200 I.U. vitamin A/kg diet.
True vitamin A exists only in animal kingdom. It may be formed by synthesis in the body of the bird from the precursor, carotene, which present in green vegetable matter or yellow corn. Because it increases exposure to air, grinding of feed materials will hasten the deterioration of this vitamin during storage, particularly if storage areas are warm or hot. As a result, the feed industry does not depend upon the bird’s receiving their vitamin A from ingredients in the diet. Dry or stabilized vitamin A is added to diet to meet the requirements of the bird. The supplementation of 4,000 I.U. vitamin A per kilo of diet for quails may be adequate for their optimum growth, production and reproductive traits.
Vitamin D
This vitamin has several forms, but D2 and D3 are the most important. Vitamin D3 is utilized by birds, man, and four-footed animals, while vitamin D2 is of value to man and four-footed animals. Thus D3 becomes essential for quail. Vitamin D aids the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestinal tract and the deposition of calcium on eggshell.
Yembroos® Research has observed that dietary deprivation of supplementary vitamin D3 did not affect body weight of male and female Japanese quail despite a reduction in feed intake. However, the production of eggs was reduced from 74% to 20%. In another experiment, the mature male quail remained in good physical condition on practical diets devoid of vitamin D3 for 1 year. But a mortality of about 90% was observed in females and 16% in males even when both were in negative calcium balance of about the same order.
Vitamin D is associated with sunlight, for sunlight provides irradiation that stimulates the manufacture of vitamin D in the skin of the bird. Unfortunately, laying quails are seldom exposed to direct sunlight, so the body synthesis of vitamin D is limited. The quail producer normally adds vitamin D to the quail diet in required amount to meet productive objectives rather than relying on synthesis or feed ingredients.
Vitamin E
A deficiency of vitamin E causes a disease of the nervous system in chicks known as ‘crazy chick disease’ (encephalomalacia). It is also essential to breeding stock for the good hatchability of their eggs. Encephalomalacia occurs when the diet contains unsaturated fats that are susceptible to rancidity. Several antioxidant compounds, in addition to vitamin E, are usually added to prevent the fat from going bad.
A deficiency of vitamin E in semi-purified diets containing isolated soybean protein and starch did not affect the body weight, feed consumption, or egg production of Japanese quail. However, it caused sterility in males, which was overcome by restoring 40 I.U. vitamin E/kg to the diet for about 2 weeks. The fertility and hatchability of quail eggs were severely depressed after the birds were fed a conventional diet containing glucose and soybean meal, but deficient in vitamin E for 20 weeks.
Whole grains and alfalfa meal are the best natural sources of vitamin E. Synthetic tocopherols (vitamin E) are available, and these are usually added to quail starter and breeder rations.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is an essential element in the synthesis of prothrombin, a chemical necessary for blood clotting. A deficiency can lead to the rupture of blood vessels and causing excessive bleeding. It is present naturally in all green foods, especially rich in lucerne meal. The needs are small, and 2 i.u./kg will suffice under normal conditions. A synthetic, water-soluble form of vitamin K3 is generally added in the diet.
Vitamin B Complex
The B vitamins are well distributed in cereals and grains, and deficiencies are normally unlikely to occur. The main functions of the B vitamins are to assist the quail in achieving its optimum growth.
Thiamin (vitamin B1) is needed for the metabolism of carbohydrates. Research has reported classical symptoms of polyneuritis in newly hatched quail chicks from a flock fed turkey breeder diet calculated to contain 3.2 mg thiamin/kg. These quail responded positively to thiamin injection. Breeding Japanese quail may have a higher requirement for thiamin than breeding fowls which is reported to be 0.8 mg thiamin/kg diet.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) – Studies suggested a minimum requirement of 8 mg riboflavin/kg diet in absence of vitamin B12 and vitamin C, but it decreased to 4 mg per kg in presence of these vitamins. The characteristic symptoms of riboflavin deficiency were slow growth, high mortality, impaired gait and posture which is known as ‘curled toe paralysis’ in quails. Feathering was absent other than down at the end of two weeks of riboflavin deficiency. The 4 and 8 mg/kg of riboflavin were sufficient to maintain normal egg production.
Nicotinic acid – The age of the birds determines the severity of symptoms of nicotinic acid deficiency. A marked depression in growth, closure of eyes, reduced activity and a marked atrophy of the pectoral muscle were observed in quail on nicotinic acid deficient diets.
Pantothenic acid – A supplementary level of 7.5 mg calcium pantothenate/kg diet was needed in purified diets for prevention of mortality and for normal growth of quail chicks, but 10-30 mg was needed for normal feathering. Breeding quail needed 15 mg supplementary calcium pantothenate per kg diet for optimal fertility and hatchability.
Choline – Growing Japanese quail required higher levels of dietary choline to support maximum growth, prevent perosis, maintain maximum egg weight, egg production and hatchability than chickens. Mature quail differ from laying fowls as they require preformed choline. The suggested requirement of quail for egg laying is about 3,100 mg/kg diet.
Folic acid – Folic acid deficiency in growing quail caused poor feathering, high mortality, leg weakness and cervical paralysis. The folic acid requirement of growing quail was between 0.3 to 0.36 mg/kg casein-gelatin based diet.
Biotin – Research indicates the need of supplementary biotin for gain in body weight of quail and for increase in egg production.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) – Vitamin B12 is required for the development of normal red blood cells. For better hatchability, sufficient pantothenic acid and vitamin B12 are also essential.
Substantial quantities of vitamin B complex are found in all the ingredients in feed. It should be stressed that vitamin B12 is found only in foods of animal origin.