Performance of Quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) Fed Graded Levels of Boiled Sun-Dried Taro Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) as a Replacement for Maize

One hundred Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were randomly alloted to five dietary treatments. In each of the five diets, sun-dried taro cocoyam cormels (Colocasia esculenta) was used to replace maize at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% respectively. The quails were fed 1 of the 5 experimental diets over a period of 49 days (7 weeks). Feed intake was measured daily and the quails weighed once weekly. Quails on the 0% (control) diet had significantly (p< 0.05) higher values in body weight and feed consumption compared to other treatments. In terms of weight gain, quails on 0% diet were not significantly (p>0.05) different from those on 25 and 50% diets. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in the feed conversion ratio and feed efficiency of all the treatments. The results indicated that, boiled sun-dried taro cocoyam cormels meal could replace maize favourably at 25 and 50% levels in Japanese quails diets at 5% level of significance.