High stocking density compromises growth performance, serum biochemical indicators, internal organ morphometry, and meat quality parameters in Jumbo quail

Poultry farmers employ high stocking densities to maximize profit and meet the high demand for poultry products. This practice leads to oxidative stress and poor product quality, necessitating an investigation into optimal stocking rates, which are currently unknown for meat-type Jumbo Coturnix quail. Thus, the current study investigated the impact of different stocking density rates (SDR) on growth performance, serum biochemical indicators, internal organ morphometry, and carcass and meat quality parameters of the Jumbo quail. In a completely randomized design, 500, seven-day-old Jumbo quail (27.3 ± 0.9 g/bird initial live-weights) were randomly distributed in 25 cages (experimental units). Each cage had a floor space of 0.6 m2, including the space occupied by an oval feeder and water-fountain tube. Five replicate cages were assigned with five treatments, which were formed by different stocking densities of 10 (SD10), 15 (SD15), 20 (SD20), 25 (SD25) and 30 (SD30) birds/cage. The feeding trial lasted for 35 days, after which the birds were all slaughtered for postmortem analyses. Overall feed intake, body weight gain, final body weight, and carcass yield declined linearly with increasing SDR. Moreover, relative breast, proventriculus, drumstick, wing and thigh weights decreased linearly, while liver weights increased linearly with increasing SDR. Breast meat redness (a*) showed a linear decline, whereas hue angle increased linearly with SDR. Increasing SDR resulted in a linear increase in serum globulin and a corresponding decrease in serum phosphate. Stocking density beyond 10 birds /0.6 m2 negatively affected Jumbo quail’s growth performance, internal organ morphometry, and serum biochemical and meat quality parameters in Jumbo quail.