title: Cashew nut meal in the feeding of meat quails.
abstract: A study was aimed to evaluate the effects of cashew nut meal inclusion (CNM) on nutrient digestibility, performance and carcass characteristics of meat quails. A total of 432 meat quails with 7 days of age, were distributed in a completely randomized design with six treatments and nine replicates of eight birds each. Treatments were obtained with inclusion of CNM at levels of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 g/kg. According to regression analysis, the inclusion of CNM, at levels above 50 g/kg, provided a linear reduction in digestibility of dry matter and metabolizable energy of diets, linear increase in feed intake and an increase in feed conversion ratio, not influencing weight gain and carcass characteristics. Comparing the results obtained with the different inclusion levels compared to those obtained with the diet without CNM (control group), it was noted that diets with 200 g/kg of CNM inclusion, the dry matter digestibility and metabolizable energy of diet were lower and the level of 250 g/kg provided higher feed intake. Considering the results, it can be inferred that cashew nut meal can be used as a feedstuff in meat quail's diets at levels up to 250 g/kg.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agrarian Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. danilo_zoo@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Danilo Rodrigues
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agrarian Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ednardo Rodrigues
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agrarian Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Henrique
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agrarian Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thales Marcel Bezerra
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Filgueira
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agrarian Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo Braga
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agrarian Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Germano Augusto Jerônimo
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agrarian Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geovana Costa
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agrarian Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Etho Robério Medeiros
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D031021:Anacardium; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D003370:Coturnix; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009754:Nuts; D010063:Ovum; D011897:Random Allocation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
keywords: Agroindustrial byproducts; Carcass yield; Feed conversion; Feed intake; Performance