Ahmadi Mostafa, Shojaeian Kamal, Ghazaghi Mahmoud, Mehri Mehran
Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol; Sistan, 98661-5538, Iran.
Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol; Sistan, 98661-5538, Iran.
Poult Sci. 2025 Jun;104(6):105209. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105209. Epub 2025 Apr 25.
This study aimed to determine the optimal dietary calcium (Ca) requirement for quail chicks by evaluating its effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics, serum biochemical parameters, immune responses, and bone development. Quail chicks were fed diets containing varying levels of Ca (0.60-1.00 %) in a completely randomized design from 11 to 24 days posthatch. Growth performance data indicated that weight gain was influenced by dietary Ca (P = 0.006), with the highest gain observed at 0.80 % Ca. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) tended to follow a quadratic trend (P = 0.092), with optimal efficiency estimated at 0.80 % Ca. Carcass analysis showed that thigh meat yield (TMY) was affected by dietary Ca levels (P = 0.012), whereas breast meat yield (BMY) and overall carcass yield remained unaffected. Serum biochemical parameters, including Ca, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF), did not show differences among dietary treatments (P > 0.05). Immune responses were not markedly affected, although total immunoglobulins (Ig-Total) and IgY exhibited slight improvements at 0.80 % Ca. Bone parameters, including bone diameter and thickness, demonstrated robust responses to dietary Ca, with the highest R² values observed at approximately 0.80 % Ca. Two-slope broken-line regression models estimated the Ca requirement for optimal gain and FCR at 0.788 % and 0.800 %, respectively. The best estimate for BMY and TMY requirements was 0.809 % and 0.748 %, respectively, while bone density suggested an optimal requirement of 0.835 %. Immune responses indicated a higher Ca requirement of approximately 0.852 %, which was greater than the requirements for performance and other physiological traits. Based on the combined highest R² and lowest standard deviation of residuals (S), the overall optimal dietary Ca requirement for quail chicks was estimated at 0.800 % for growth and efficiency, but higher levels may be needed to support bone density and immune function. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing Ca nutrition in quail production.
本研究旨在通过评估日粮钙（Ca）对鹌鹑雏鸡生长性能、胴体特性、血清生化参数、免疫反应和骨骼发育的影响，确定其最佳日粮钙需求量。在雏鸡出壳后11至24天，采用完全随机设计，给鹌鹑雏鸡饲喂含有不同钙水平（0.60 - 1.00%）的日粮。生长性能数据表明，体重增加受日粮钙的影响（P = 0.006），在钙含量为0.80%时观察到最高增重。饲料转化率（FCR）呈二次趋势（P = 0.092），估计在钙含量为0.80%时效率最佳。胴体分析表明，腿肉产量（TMY）受日粮钙水平影响（P = 0.012），而胸肉产量（BMY）和总体胴体产量不受影响。血清生化参数，包括钙、磷、碱性磷酸酶（ALP）和胰岛素样生长因子（IGF），在不同日粮处理之间未显示差异（P > 0.05）。免疫反应虽未受到显著影响，但在钙含量为0.80%时，总免疫球蛋白（Ig-Total）和IgY略有改善。骨骼参数，包括骨直径和厚度，对日粮钙表现出强烈反应，在钙含量约为0.80%时观察到最高的R²值。双斜率折线回归模型估计，最佳增重和FCR的钙需求量分别为0.788%和0.800%。BMY和TMY需求量的最佳估计分别为0.809%和0.748%，而骨密度表明最佳需求量为0.835%。免疫反应表明钙需求量约为0.852%，高于生长性能和其他生理特性的需求量。基于最高R²和最低残差标准差（S）的综合结果，鹌鹑雏鸡生长和效率的总体最佳日粮钙需求量估计为0.800%，但可能需要更高水平的钙来支持骨密度和免疫功能。这些发现为优化鹌鹑生产中的钙营养提供了有价值的见解。
