The Effect of Dietary L-Carnitine Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, and Composition of Edible Meat in Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

SUMMARY The present study was conducted to determine the effects of supplemental dietary L-carnitine atdifferentlevelsongrowthperformance,carcasstraits,andcompositionofediblemeatinJapanese quail. One hundred sixty-eight 1-d-old Japanese quail chicks were fed the same basal diet that was supplemented with 0 (control), 30, 40, or 50 mg L-carnitine/kg of diet. The effects of dietary L-carnitine supplementation at different levels on body weight gain, cumulative feed intake, and feed conversion ratio of Japanese quail did not differ. Supplementation of L-carnitine to Japanese quail diets from 0 to 35 d of age did not affect the hot and cold carcass yields and the relative values of heart, liver, gizzard, and abdominal fat. Levels of supplemental dietary L-carnitine did not affect the dry matter, moisture, CP, or ether extract content of the total edible meat in Japanese quail chicks.