Egg Production and Quality from Laying Quails Fed Three Levels of Moringa Meal

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding 0 (T0), 5 (T5) and 10% (T10) moringa leaf (Moringa oleifera) meal to a soybean meal-sorghum based diet on egg production and quality from laying quails (Coturnix japonica). Eighteen 7-wk old laying quails, with an initial live weight (LW) of 140 ± 5 g, were housed individually and randomly assigned to the three treatments (TRT, n = 6). Diets were isoproteic and isoenergetic. During the first 8 wk of the laying cycle, quail LW and feed intake were recorded weekly. Produced eggs (n = 530) were identified, weighed, and egg mass production recorded. Egg shape index was calculated as their relative width by length ratio. Egg energy and protein concentrations were measured (n=6). Shell thickness (μm), the proportions of albumen, yolk and shell (gravimetrically) and egg yolk color (using reflectance chroma meter) were determined (n = 60/treatment). The experiment was a completely randomized design, statistical analyses were performed with SPSS® software, and mean comparisons using Tukey. Average quail LW was higher for T0 (160.9 g) than for diets with moringa (avg 151.9 g; P < 0.05). There was no difference among TRT in feed intake (136.37 g/wk), egg quantity (3.68 egg/wk), or egg mass (35.55 g/wk) (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, egg weight was higher for T0 (9.87 vs 9.14 g; P < 0.05). Feed efficiency of egg production (0.240 g egg/g feed) was similar among TRT (P = 0.102). No differences were observed (P > 0.05) in egg energy (6692 cal/g) and protein (12.28%) concentration, nor in the efficiency of protein (0.042; n = 144) and energy (0.102; n = 144) deposition among TRT. Egg shell was thicker (313 vs 278 μm, P < 0.05) in T0. Egg shape index (80.0 vs avg 77.5%) and the proportion of egg shell (16.6 vs avg 15.3%), were higher in T10 (P < 0.05). The proportion of yolk (34.5%) and albumen (49.8%) were similar among TRT (P > 0.05). Eggs from T5 and T10 had higher "A" and "B" color parameter values (P < 0.001). The "L" parameter was higher (P < 0.001) for T0. In conclusion, including moringa leaf meal up to 10% in quail diets at the beginning of the laying cycle had positive effects on the pigmentation of quail egg yolk, without affecting efficiency of egg protein and energy deposition, and without reducing egg production parameters.