Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the nutritional value of pelleted meat quail litter (PMQL) and pelleted layer quail litter (PLQL). Both types of litter were pelleted, and the nutritive values were analyzed. The results showed that the total ash (TA), crude protein and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents for the PMQL were much lower than those for the PLQL (P<0.05), whereas the dry matter (DM) was not significantly (P>0.05) different between the PMQL and PLQL. Estimations of the metabolizable energy (ME) were predicted from rumen fluid-pepsin in vitro digestible organic matter content of the DM (ME-IV) and organic matter loss during a 72-h rumen incubation (ME-RI). The ME contents were closely correlated with the sum of the TA and ADF, and the correlation coefficient for the ME-IV was -0.881 and -0.913 for the ME-RI. Useful estimations of the ME from the TA and ADF values of the litter samples could be made utilizing regression equations for either ME-IV or ME-RI, with the ME-RI being preferred for its slightly greater correlation coefficient, ME-RI (MJ/kg DM) = 12.7 – 0.0104 (TA + ADF) (g/kg DM).       

Key words: Animal feed, available energy, bedding material, pellet, prediction, ruminant.