Enhancing Japanese quail growth performance and egg quality through effective microorganism water supplementation in diet: Performance and egg quality of quail through effective microorganism supplementation

Vendra Hannay 	 Maitel; Nurul'azah Mohd Yaakub; Nurul Huda; Md. Safiul Alam Bhuiyan; Rohaida Abdul Rasid

doi:10.51200/jsffs.v2i1.7329

Authors

Vendra Hannay Maitel Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Nurul'azah Mohd Yaakub Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Nurul Huda Postgraduate School, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65145 East Java, Indonesia.
Md. Safiul Alam Bhuiyan Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Rohaida Abdul Rasid Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51200/jsffs.v2i1.7329

Keywords:

egg quality, effective microorganism, feed conversion ratio, growth performance, quail feed supplementation

Abstract

Effective Microorganisms (EM) are probiotic mixtures of beneficial bacteria that improve gut health by reducing harmful pathogens to improve growth performance. EM support overall health and egg production in avians by balancing intestinal microflora. This study investigated the impact of EM supplementation via drinking solution on the growth performance and egg quality of quails. A total of 64 quails were divided into four treatment groups, with each group receiving a different concentration of EM in their drinking water. Growth performance, such as feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR), were monitored weekly for seven weeks. Egg quality parameters, including egg yolk color, shell thickness, albumen height, and Haugh unit, were evaluated during the final week of the study. The results demonstrated that quails supplemented with EM exhibited improved growth performance; with a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in FCR and enhanced weight gain compared to the control group. In terms of egg quality, EM supplementation led to improve the yolk pigmentation and albumen height, resulting in higher Haugh unit scores. Shell thickness was also positively influenced (p < 0.05) by the EM concentrations. The findings indicate that EM supplementation in quail diets can enhance both growth performance and egg quality, making it a profitable strategy for sustainable poultry farming. Future studies could explore the long-term effects of EM and its influence on other physiological and reproductive traits.

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