EFFECT OF DIETARY PROTEIN LEVEL ON PERFORMANCE OF SQUABS | ||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||
| Article 6, Volume 32, Issue 9, September 2007, Pages 7211-7224 PDF (549.34 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2007.220590 | ||
| Author | ||
| k. Abd El-Galil, | ||
| Animal and Poultry Nutrition Dept., Desert Research Center, El- Matareya, Cairo, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| A total number of 24 pairs baladi adult pigeons at the 9th month old (24 females and 24 males) and 24 pairs of squabs (which were hatched from the parents of the squabs), were used in this experiment. Pigeons and squabs were divided into 4 equal experimental groups of 12 adult pigeons (6 females and 6 males). The first group fed diet contained 11% crude protein, while the other three groups fed diets containing 13,15 and 17 % protein levels. The experimental diets were isocaloric and isofibrous. The experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of different protein levels on the performance of squabing pigeons. Results obtained could be summarized as follows: The final live body weight and body weight change during the whole experimental period decreased not significantly among the different experimental adult pigeons. There was not significant difference between groups during hatchability and incubation periods. All groups had similar values of hatchability percentage and incubation periods. Live body weight and body weight gain were significantly (P<0.05) decreased with the increasing of protein levels in the squabs diets, where the 13% protein level recorded heavier body weight than the other protein levels. Feed intake during the whole experimental period recorded significantly (P<0.05) increased with decreasing dietary crude protein level. Feed conversion ratio (g feed/g gain) became significantly worst (P<0.05) by decreasing protein levels in the squabs diets, where 11% recorded the lowest values. Protein intake recorded significantly decrease (P< 0.05) with decreasing CP level, while efficiency of protein utilization recorded significantly increase (P<0.05) with decreasing CP level. Decreasingprotein levels in diets caused non significantly decreases in dressing percentage. Digestibility coefficients of CP, CF% and the nutritive values expressed as DCP, TDN % and ME kcal/kg were significantly varied (P<0.01 or P<0.05) among the different experimental diets, however, digestion coefficients of EE and NFE was not significantly influenced by the different levels of protein. The 13 % level of dietary protein showed the best net return as well as the highest value of economic efficiency among all experimental squabs groups. Based on results obtained in the present study, it could be concluded that moderate protein level 13% in the growing squab diet had no adverse effect on growth performance and carcass quality. Also moderate crude protein diet improved the net return and economic efficiency. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Protein level; pigeons; squabs; performance; digestion trials; carcass traits | ||
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