Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Egg Quality of Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Zinc is required for many biological processes in avian and mammalian species. Higher Zn supplementation was found to be beneficial as animals had a higher response for total, IgM, and IgG antibody. The deficiency of zinc decreases egg production and causes reproductive performance problems, in bone and skin development and mortality. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with different levels of zinc (0, 25, 50 and 75 mg/kg diet) on egg quality traits of Japanese quails. The four experimental diets were: C= the basal diet (control) without any addition (0 Zn), T1= 25 mg Zn/ kg diet, T2= 50 mg/kg diet and T3= 75 mg/kg diet. Zinc supplementation had significant effect in T1, T2 and T3 on Albumen index however, no significant differences were observed between treatment groups with respect to egg weight, shape index, yolk index, yolk %, albumen %, shell weight % and Haugh unit.