Changes in performance, cecal microflora counts and intestinal histology of Japanese quails fed diets containing different fibre sources

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate how various fiber sources impact the performance, microbial population, and intestinal histology of Japanese quail that was performed in a completely randomized design for 42 days. The dietary treatments involved a fiber-free corn-soybean meal-based diet (control, CTL), and CTL with added levels of sunflower hulls (SFH) and sugar beet pulp (SBP) (20 and 40 g kg^-1). Body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) were recorded weekly. Carcass characteristics, cecal microbial population, blood variables and intestinal histology were measured on the 42 day of age. Adding 40 g kg^-1 of SBP led to a significant decrease in body weight gain and an increase in the feed conversion ratio of birds from 1 to 21 days (<i>P</i> < 0.05). The relative weight of the gastrointestinal tract and gizzard increased significantly in birds that consumed SFH. Blood triglyceride concentration decreased with the inclusion of fiber in the diet. However, there was a notable increase in blood cholesterol concentration in the birds that were fed SBP (20 and 40 g kg^-1) in comparison to those fed SFH (<i>P</i> < 0.05). The population of <i>E. Coli</i> in the cecum increased significantly in the birds that were fed 4 g kg^-1 of SBP as opposed to those fed 20 and 40 g kg^-1 of SFH (<i>P</i> < 0.05). The villus height of the jejunum in birds that were fed 20 g kg^-1 and 40 g kg^-1 of SFH demonstrated a significant increase in comparison to the other treatments (<i>P</i> < 0.05). In general, the findings of this research indicated that the inclusion of 40 g kg^-1 of SBP in the diet had a negative impact on performance and other physiological parameters. However, the use of SFH and 20 g kg^-1 of SBP yielded similar results to birds in the CTL, and in some cases, even better outcomes.