Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Japanese Quails Fed Diets Containing Wolffia Meal [Wolffia globosa (L). Wimm.] as a Protein Replacement for Soybean Meal

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of replacement of Crude Protein (CP) from Soybean Meal (SBM) with CP from Wolffia meal [Wolffia globosa (L). Wimm.] on performance and carcass quality in Japanese quails. Using Completely Randomize Design (CRD), two hundred eighty-eight quails were divided into four treatments. Each treatment consisted of six replicates and each replicate contained twelve quails. The dietary treatments were T1: control diet, T2, T3 and T4: CP from SBM was replaced by CP from Wolffia meal at 25, 50 and 75%, respectively. The results showed that the feed intake of quails significantly decreased (p<0.05) when over 50% of CP from SBM was replaced by CP from Wolffia meal in the diet. However, replacement of CP from SBM with CP from Wolffia meal in the diets did not alter (p>0.05) feed efficiency, performance and carcass quality of quails. Skin pigmentation increased (p<0.05) with increasing CP replacement from Wolffia meal. In conclusion, 50% of CP from Wolffia meal could appropriately replace CP from SBM in the diet of quail.