PERFORMANCE OF GROWING COTURNIX QUAILS (COTURNIX COTURNIX JAPONICA) FED DIFFERENT WATER SOURCES.

Abstract

A study of 6 weeks was conducted to determine the effect of different water sources on the performance of growing Japanese quails. A total of two hundred 2-week old quail birds of mixed sexes were randomly allocated to four water treatments in a completely randomized design. The birds were allocated fifty per replicate. Every replicate has 15 birds with the extra birds distributed without bias at a bird per replicate. Feed given was an on-farm quail chick mash with feed and water supplied ad libitum for 6 weeks. The water sources were from borehole (control), well, stream and dam respectively. Birds on treatment A consumed the highest feed (17.42g), followed by those on treatment C (17.13), D (15.17) and B (15.16). However, the differences were not significant (p˃0.05). Water intake of birds on treatment A was higher (39.97ml/bird) than those on treatment C (35.84), B (33.32) and D (32.86) respectively. However, differences were not significant (p ˃0.05). Birds on treatment D had a higher weight gain (3.88g/bird), followed by those on treatment C (3.67), B (3.62) and A (3.29) in that order. The differences were not also significant (p˃0.05). Feed conversion ratio of birds seemed to follow a similar trend with water intake. It was better on treatment D (3.98) followed by those on B (4.14), C (4.76) and A (5.36) respectively. Result of this investigation showed that birds can be raised on any of the water sources. However, water from borehole and well have better control than those from other sources.