Effects of Methionine Supplementation on Growth, Productivity, and Health Parameters in Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

Methionine Amino acid that has a crucial role in synthesis of proteins, methylation and antioxidant protection of poultry. Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) due to their high productivity and economic status need optimum nutritional management to boost their performance. The present research is aimed at determining the impacts of different amounts of dietary methionine supplementation on egg production, growth performance, physiological parameters of health, and immune responses in Japanese quails. Two hundred and forty days-old quail chicks were assigned randomly and fed using four dietary treatments, namely, control (basic diet), and basic diets to which the control diet had been added 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 percent methionine diet after six weeks. The parameters that were evaluated were body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg production characteristics, serum biochemical indices, and hematological indices, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Findings show that there was significant effect of methionine supplementation on body weight, FCR, egg production and percentages of hatching. Also, methionine increased serum proteins, decreased oxidative stress, and facilitated immune response. The best outcomes were attained with supplementation at 0.2%. These results indicate that moderate diets, which enrich methionine, positively improve the health and overall performance of Japanese quails.