Nutrient Digestibility Coefficients and Carcass Evaluation of Japanese Quails to Aqueous Administration of Egg Lime Molasses Mixture

Background: Japanese quails are cheap and easy to maintain, and they have the potential to bridge the gap in animal protein consumption shortage; however, their performance is highly dependent on the efficiency of nutrient utilization. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of an egg-lime-molasses mixture (ELM) administration on Japanese quails’ nutrient utilization and carcass parameters. Methods: The study was conducted at the poultry unit of the Babcock University farmhouse, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria, from January to March 2022. ELM was prepared by placing fresh chicken eggs in a bowl, after which one liter of lime juice and 500 g of molasses were added and covered tightly for 10 days at 27 °C with a relative humidity of 61%. The solution was then blended. Two-hundred-day-old Japanese quails were assigned to one of five treatments in a completely randomized design. The birds were subdivided into four replicates of 10 birds each. The control (T1) had no administration of ELM; T2, T3, T4, and T5 had inclusion levels of 10, 20, 30, and 40 mL, respectively, all in 500 mL of water. Food and water were provided ad libitum. Data on performance characteristics, apparent digestibility coefficients, and carcass parameters were collected and analyzed using SPSS software, version 22 using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. Results: The results revealed that ELM did not significantly affect performance characteristics and carcass parameters (P>0.05). The values for digestible crude protein were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the control (62.99%). However, the lowest values were observed among birds administered the lowest dosages (10 and 20 mL ELM with 56.36% and 54.38%, respectively). Birds administered the lowest dosages of ELM (10 mL) had significantly higher (P<0.05) digestible lipids (55.50%) and digestible ash (23.41%) values. The birds administered 20 mL ELM had significantly least (P<0.05) values for digestible lipids (25.50%) and digestible ash (2.58%), while significantly highest (P<0.05) values were observed for the same group of birds for digestible crude fiber (41.05%) and digestible carbohydrates (38.79%). Conclusion: The inclusion of ELM in the water of Japanese quails did not alter their growth performance or carcass parameters.