%0 Journal Article
%T Growth response and carcass characteristics of Japanese quail to Mentha piperita plant supplementation
%A Babak Aminzade
%A Behzad Karami
%A Elias Lotfi
%J Animal Biology & Animal Husbandry
%D 2012
%I Bioflux Society
%X In current study, the effect of Mentha piperita plant (MPP) supplementation on performance and carcass characteristics in Japanesequail was investigated. A total of 180 quails (male and female) were carried out in completely randomized design with diet consisted of thebasal diet as the control (0MPP), diets with MPP at 1.5% (15 g/kg MPP) and 3% (30 g/kg MPP). Four replicates with 15 quails were allocatedto each experimental treatment and the birds were reared for 42 days. The diets were formulated according to NRC (1994) guidelines and contained24% protein and 2900 kcal/kg ME. The results showed that weight gain, feed intake and feed conversation was significantly affected bylevels of MPP (p<0.05). Quails fed with 1.5% MPP had more percentage of breast muscle compared to quails fed 0 and 3% MPP. Feed conversionratio was significantly improved in quails received 1.5% compared to 3% (p<0.05). There was no significant difference for percentage ofcarcass and thigh muscle among experimental treatments. The result showed adding various levels of MPP was improved feed conversion ratioand increase body weight in Japanese quail.
%K Japanese quail
%K performance
%K carcass
%K Mentha piperita plant
%U http://www.abah.bioflux.com.ro/docs/2012.24-27.pdf