Effect of different dietary oil sources of omega- 3 poly unsaturated fatty acids on the meat quality characteristics in Japanese quail

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted in Japanese quail broiler birds for a period of five weeks to study the effect of various inclusion levels of feed ingredients rich in omega-3 fatty acids to meatquality characteristics. 360 numbers of day old Japanese quail chicks were selected and distributed randomly into six treatment groups (T1-PO 4%; T2 LO 4%:T3 LO 3% + SO 1%; T4 LO 2% +SO 2%; T5 LO 1% + SO 3%; T6 SO 4%). Six replicates of ten birds (6 x 10 = 60) were maintained in each treatment. The Japanese quail broiler rations were iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous. The source of omega-3 rich oils and their combinations are the key variable in these rations. The birds were slaughtered by Halal method at the end of the experiment on 35th day. There is no significant difference (P>0.05) in the dry matter, crude protein, ether extract and total ash content in the Japanese quail meat fed with different sources oil and its combination. No significant (P>0.05) difference was observed on pH, shear force value, water holding capacity and colour of breast meat of Japanese quail fed with different oil sources rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The sensory evaluation of the breast meat of Japanese quail fed with different oil sources rich in omega-3 fatty acids had significant (P