Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Ankara Universitesi Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi, cilt.62, sa.4, ss.307-312, 2015 (SCI-Expanded)
The aim of the present research was to determine the effects of arginine and lysine supplementation in laying quail diets on performance and egg quality characteristics. A total of 420 Japanese quails (280 females and 140 males; Coturnix coturnix japonica) aged 10 weeks old were divided into seven equal groups, each consisting of 60 quails. The control group was fed a basal diet without the addition of arginine or lysine (with an arginine:lysine ratio at the required level). Experimental groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with: 0.1% arginine; 0.2% arginine; 0.1% lysine; 0.2% lysine; 0.1% arginine + 0.1% lysine; or 0.2% arginine + 0.2% lysine. Feed intake decreased in the 0.1% lysine, 0.2% lysine, and 0.1% arginine + 0.1% lysine groups compared with the control and arginine groups (P<0.01). At the end of the experiment, body weight increased for females in all experimental groups (P<0.05); eggshell thickness decreased in the 0.2% arginine group (P<0.01); and the albumen index increased in the 0.2% arginine + 0.2% lysine group compared with the 0.1% arginine, 0.2% lysine, and 0.1% arginine + 0.1% lysine groups (P<0.05). There were no differences between the experimental groups in terms of egg production, egg weight, feed conversion ratio, shape index, Haugh unit, yolk index, albumen index and yolk color index. In conclusion, lysine supplementation in the quail diets did not appear to have any significant negative effect; excessive arginine supplementation might impair the quality of the eggshell; and combined arginine and lysine supplementation did not improve performance.