Effects of Corn Distillers Dried Grain with Solubles (ddgs) on Carcass, Meat Quality and Intestinal Organ Traits in Japanese Quails

Corn distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) is a by-product of the ethanol industry and also it can be obtained from wheat, barley, sorghum and other carbohydrate sources in ethanol plants. It has high protein and energy content therefore can be evaluated as a by-product for poultry. However, its high levels in poultry diets have been restricted due to some negative effects on poultry performance and carcass traits. Although, there are some studies usage of DDGS in broiler, layer and turkey diets but no in quail diets. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on carcass, meat quality and inner organ traits in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). A total of 240 one-day-old mixed sex quail chicks were individually weighed, wing banded and distributed into 4 treatments with 4 replicate and 12 chicks per cage. The replicates were designated as the experimental units, and were randomized with respect to the dietary treatments. Maize-soybean based diets were utilized and all were formulated using linear programming to be isoenergetic, isonitrogenic and to contain the equal level of dry matter, crude fiber and ash, calcium, available phosphorus, sulphur amino acids and lysine. Therefore, the treatments were: (1) control no addition DDGS (C), (2) 10 % DDGS of diet (3) 20 % DDGS of diet and (4) 30 % DDGS of diet. The experimental diets were used for 35 days of age. For carcass evaluation 16 birds each group were randomly selected at 35 d of age and slaughtered. Whole carcass, liver, stomach, gizzard, duodenum, ileum+ jejunum, secum, colon, abdominal fat, heart and pancreas weights were recorded individually and part yields were obtained as part weight: carcass weight ratio. To determine meat composition a total of 64 meat samples were analyzed for dry matter, nitrogen, ether extract and crude ash. There were no differences among the groups in terms of slaughter weight, carcass, and edible organs, some gastrointestinal organs except secum and pancreas and abdominal fat weights. In the control group’s secum weight was high than all of supplemented DDGS groups and fed diets with 30 % of DDGS groups was lower secum weight than other groups (p<0.05). Also pancreas weight of the control group was higher than fed diets with 10 and 30 % of DDGS included groups (p<0.05), but 20 % of DDGS was not different. There were similar trend percentages of these traits. The secum percentage of DDGS 30% group was lower and significantly different than other groups and control groups’ secum percentage was higher than other groups (p<0.01). The pancreas percentage of DDGS 30% group was significantly lower than the control and DDGS 20% groups (p<0.05). In the 20 % DDGS group DM was significantly higher than other groups (P<0.01), however among the 0, 10 and 30 % DDGS group’s differences were not significant. Similarly, the meat CF in 20 % of DDGS of diets was higher than C and 10 % DDGS groups (p<0.05), but fed with 30 % DDGS groups meat CF was not significantly differed. The meat CP and CA values were not significant among the experimental groups. In conclusion, quails can be fed between 0 and 30% DDGS, if diets are formulated appropriately, without negative affect on carcass, meat and iner organ traits.