Total replacement of maize with raw or heat-treated sweet cassava tuber meal on productive performance and egg quality parameters in Jumbo quail hens from 6 to 14 weeks of age

The impact of complete replacement of maize with raw or heat-treated sweet cassava ( Manihot esculenta) tuber meal (CTM) on productive performance and egg quality of Jumbo quail hens was determined. A total of 240, 6-week-old hens were randomly allocated to 60 cages (4 birds/cage) and assigned to five experimental diets with 12 replicates each. The diets were a standard layer mash diet without CTM (CON) and a standard layer mash diet in which 100% maize was replaced with raw (CTMR), boiled (CTMB), autoclaved (CTMA), and oven-dried CTM (CTMO). The highest overall feed intake, body weight gain, and final body weight ( P < 0.05) was observed from the CON group while the lowest was from the CTMB group. Overall FCR and mortality were not significantly influenced by the diets. Fourteen-week-old hens on CON had a higher ( P < 0.05) rate of lay than CTMR. Eggs from CON had the brightest yolk colour values than all the treatment groups. Moreover, eggs from CON had the least shape index than those from CTMO. Diet CTMA promoted heavier ( P < 0.05) eggshells than CTMR. Jumbo quail hens reared on maize-based diet showed better performance followed by autoclaving treatment, whereas boiling treatment compromised performance traits.