title: The effects of dietary protein level on the reproductive performance of bobwhite hens.
abstract: Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the protein requirement of adult bobwhite quail. Flight-type quail were used in one experiment and meat-type quail in the other. Corn and soybean meal diets containing 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24% protein were fed. Increasing the protein level of the diet from 12 to 15% significantly increased egg production with the flight-type bird. However, only a nonsignificant increase in egg production was obtained with the meat-type birds when the protein level was increased to 15%. Higher levels of protein did not result in further increases in egg production in either strain. Increasing the protein from 12 to 18% (flight) or 21% (meat) resulted in increased egg weight. Egg mass of flight-type hens receiving 18 and 21% protein was significantly greater than egg mass from hens receiving 12 and 15% protein. Hatch of fertile eggs, hatch of total eggs, chick weight, or weight of adult birds were not affected by protein level. Feeding the 12% protein diet resulted in significantly reduced fertility in the flight-type birds but not in the meat-type birds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aboul-Ela
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Harms
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001947:Breeding; D003088:Colinus / Q000502:physiology*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D010058:Oviposition; D012098:Reproduction
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins