Nutritional Properties of Kigelia africana Fruit Meal: Additive Effects on Growth Response, Blood Characteristics, Carcass Properties and Organoleptic Attributes of Japanese Quails

Abstract

This trial was drawn to investigate the growth response, blood constituents, carcass, and sensory properties of Japanese quails to the dietary inclusion of Suasage (Kigelia africana) fruit meal as a feed additive. Four feeding groups were drawn at random from among 240 unsexed Japanese quails, aged two weeks. They were fed Kigelia africana Fruit Meal (KaFM) as a feed additive at 0.00% (A), 0.10% (B), 0.20% (C), and 0.30% (D) inclusion rate respectively. During the eight-week trial, three replicates of twenty quails each were used in each feed group. The three-week-long growing phase ended when the quails were further divided according to sex at first lay. Throughout the trial, weekly data on growth performance were gathered, and at 10 weeks of age, the birds were slaughtered for blood, carcass, and organoleptic analyses. All data were analyzed using one-way Analysis of Variance. These findings revealed that KaFM influenced (p<0.05) intake, feed-to-gain, age at first lay, haematological parameters, transaminase activity, carcass and organoleptic indices. Conclusively, group (A) reached laying age earlier (39d), thus KaFM could delay female sexual maturity. According to the study's findings, 0.1% KaFM inclusion dose was sufficient for boosting the growth performance of Japanese quails (Feed conversion ratio=4.53), 0.20% KaFM for blood metabolites which were within the established range for healthy quails, higher carcass weight, meat color, tenderness, and overall acceptability.