Enhancing Growth Performance, Immunity, and Gut Morphology in Quails through Oyster Mushroom Stem Waste Supplementation
Enhancing Growth Performance, Immunity, and Gut Morphology in Quails through Oyster Mushroom Stem Waste Supplementation
Jamal Abdul Nasir1, Naila Chand1, Abdul Hafeez1 and Rifat Ullah Khan2*
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of oyster mushroom stem waste supplementation on the grown performance of quails. For this a total of 240 days old quails were purchased from a reputed hatchery. Equal number of chicks was assigned to four groups and each group was further replicated three times. Each replicate consisted of 20 chicks. Group PO-0 was considered as control and was fed with commercial ration with no supplementation. Group PO-1 was fed with commercial ration supplemented with 10 g mushroom waste/kg of feed. While group PO-2 and group PO-3 was fed with commercial ration supplemented with 20g and 30g of mushroom waste/kg of feed respectively. The study revealed that there was no notable impact on feed intake. However, there was a significant increase (P<0.05) in weight gain observed in the PO-3 group, accompanied by a considerably lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the same group. No instances of mortality were recorded in either the control or experimental groups. Nevertheless, there was a noteworthy improvement in dressing percentage observed in the PO-3 group. Additionally, the antibody titers against NDV, IBV, and IBDV were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the PO-3 group. Similarly, the histological features of the cecum, including villus height, width, and their respective ratio, were significantly higher in PO3 compared to the control group. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that supplementing the diet with various levels of oyster mushroom stem waste led to improved growth performance, enhanced immunity, and improved gut morphology in quails, all without affecting liver and kidney functions. The most favorable outcomes were achieved when oyster mushroom stem waste was incorporated at a 3% level in the feed.
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