The Impact of Partially Replacing Dietary Maize with Graded Levels of Banana Peels on Nutrient Digestibility, Physiology, and Meat Quality Traits in Jumbo Quail

Abstract

We evaluated the effect of replacing maize with graded levels of banana (Musa acuminata) peels (BPs) on feed utilisation, physiological performance, and meat quality traits in Jumbo quail. In a completely randomised design, 341 one-week-old, unsexed quail chicks were randomly allocated to 30 cages and reared on five experimental diets containing 0 (BP0), 25 (BP25), 50 (BP50), 75 (BP75), and 100 g/kg BP (BP100) in a conventional grower diet. Dry matter, organic matter, and gross energy digestibility values linearly declined (p < 0.05) with BP levels. Feed intake in the 5th week linearly declined (p < 0.05) as BP levels increased. The BP0 diet promoted greater overall body weight gain than BP100. Similarly, birds on BP0 had a higher (p < 0.05) overall gain-to-feed ratio than birds on BP75 and BP100. Significant linear increases were observed for relative gizzard, and small and large intestine weights. There were negative quadratic effects (p < 0.05) for relative proventriculus weight, breast lightness, and thigh chroma as BP levels increased. Furthermore, thigh yellowness linearly decreased, while hue angle linearly increased with BP levels. The partial substitution of maize with BP in Jumbo quail diet compromised feed digestibility and performance parameters, stimulated visceral organ development, and altered some meat colour attributes.