title: Responses in growth, food intake and food conversion efficiency to different dietary protein concentrations in meat-type lines of Japanese quail.
abstract: 1. A total of 360 Japanese quail of 4 commercial meat-type lines and two diet treatments (260 and 216 g/kg or 238 and 195 g/kg of crude protein (CP) in the starter and grower diet, respectively) were used. 2. The positive effect of a high CP diet on body weight was significant only for the first 4 weeks after hatching. 3. The mean age at inflection point of the growth curve (t+) across lines and sexes was 1.4 d (0.6 to 2.8 d within line/sex groups) earlier for quail fed on a high CP diet than in quail receiving a low CP diet. The inflection (y+) and asymptotic (A) weights were similar under both dietary protein concentrations. Nevertheless, the shape of the growth curve, characterised by the ratio y+/A and parameter of the maturing rate k, was significantly influenced by diet. 4. A higher food intake and less efficient food conversion were found for quail fed on a high CP diet in the period from 15 to 28 d of age. 5. The fattening traits such as body weight, cumulative food intake and food conversion, were not affected by dietary CP content at the age of 5 weeks. 6. The effects of line on body weight, food intake and food conversion are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Animal Production, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hyánková
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dĕdková
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knízetová
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klecker
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003370:Coturnix / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins