Effect of dietary supplementation of Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and poplar (Populus deltoides) leaf powder on production performance, nutrient metabolizability and economics of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

Aims: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and Poplar (Populus deltoides) leaf powder on production performance and nutrient metabolizability in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Study design: The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with four dietary treatments. Place and Duration of Study: The trial was conducted at the Instructional Poultry Farm, Nagla, G.B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India, for a period of six weeks. Methodology: A total of 120-day-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments with three replicates of 10 birds each. The treatment groups consisted of T1 (basal diet), T2 (basal diet supplemented with 1% Shisham leaf powder), T3 (basal diet supplemented with 1% Poplar leaf powder), and T4 (basal diet supplemented with combination of 1% Shisham and 1% Poplar leaf powder). Growth performance was evaluated through weekly measurement of feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, performance index and feed efficiency ratio. A metabolic trial was conducted during the finisher phase to determine nutrient metabolizability, including crude protein, dry matter, organic matter and ether extract utilization. Results: Body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, performance index, and feed efficiency ratio differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) among treatments, with the best performance observed in T4, followed by T2 and T3, while the lowest performance was recorded in T1. Feed intake showed significant variation between control and supplemented groups. Crude protein metabolizability was significantly improved in supplemented groups, particularly in T2 and T4, whereas dry matter, organic matter and ether extract metabolizability remained statistically similar among various treatments. Conclusion: Combined supplementation of Shisham and Poplar leaf powder at 2% improved production performance and crude protein metabolizability in Japanese quail, demonstrating its effectiveness as a natural feed additive.