Vol. 11, Special Issue 2 (2022)

Author(s):
DS Goswami, JL Choudhary, DK Bagri, JP Meena and Lokesh Gupta

Abstract:
An experiment was conducted on laying quails to determine optimum dietary level of Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) supplementation on egg production and egg quality traits at Poultry Farm Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur (Raj). A hundred quails were randomly distributed in 4 treatments and reared on standard managemental conditions. The root powder of Shatavari was added over the basal ration at 1.0% level (Ts1), 1.5% (Ts2), 2.0% level (Ts3), whereas the Ts0 was the control group. A maize, soybean and rice bran-based quail layer basal diet having all the nutrients in the required quantity was prepared. Each of such diets was offered as mash ad libitum to Japanese laying quails reared in laying cages for a period of 15 weeks (8-23 weeks of age) significantly (P< 0.05) higher per cent egg production was observed in diet Ts2 containing 1.5 per cent Shatavari groups, but the groups Ts1 & Ts3 in diet did not differ significantly from each other. Egg weight was also significantly (P< 0.05) higher in the diet containing 1.5 percent Shatavari than Control group. Cumulative feed intake (g/b) for the 8-23 weeks feeding period was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in Ts0 and lower in the entire Shatavari treated groups. FCR (feed intake/egg mass) and net FCR were significantly (P< 0.05) poor in Ts1 group than other Shatavari supplemented groups. Shell thickness weight was found higher in birds fed with Shatavari @ 1.5 per cent (Ts2) group than Ts0, Ts1 and Ts3 group, whereas groups fed Ts1, Ts2 and Ts3 diet did not differ significantly from each other. Shell weight on per cent of egg weight was significantly (P< 0.05) higher in diet fed Ts2 than other dietary groups. The results of the present study on production performance of laying quails indicated that supplementing the dietary level of 1.5 percent Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) in diet to common feedstuffs is sufficient to support the optimum egg production, performance of laying quails under sub-humid and humid regions of Rajasthan and there is no need to supplement the diet with additional ingredients.