The influence of dietary salt on water consumption and carcass lipids in Japanese quail.

Studies were conducted to investigate the influence of dietary salt on water consumption and subsequent carcass lipids in Japanese quail at various ages. In Experiment 1, randombred nongrowth-selected (C) quail were fed 28% protein diets containing .0, .4, .8, 1.6, and 3.2% added salt. In Experiment 2, growth-selected P- and C-line quail were fed 20%-protein diets containing .4% and 3.2% added salt. The different dietary salt levels did not exert a consistent effect on body weight in Experiment 1. There was no adverse effect of salt level on feed consumption and efficiency and no direct effect on abdominal fat or carcass lipid levels. High salt (1.6 and 3.2%) stimulated water consumption and increased water:feed ratios. Water:feed ratios were higher for quail than for broilers, suggesting a species difference. In Experiment 2, C-line quail demonstrated similar effects to the high-salt (3.2%) diet in Experiment 1. High salt (3.2%) adversely affected body weight, feed consumption, abdominal fat, and carcass lipid in P-line quail. There was no affect on feed efficiency, and a substantial stimulation of water consumption with concomitantly increased water:feed ratios. The relatively low abdominal fat observed at 4 weeks of age indicate that nongrowth-selected quail may not be a good model for the study of abdominal fat in broilers.