Egg Performance and Quality Evaluation of Quail (Coturnix coturnix) Supplemented with Calphos using Oyster Shell
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2025.303Keywords:
Calcium phosphate, Egg production, Laying rate, Poultry production, Water supplementAbstract
The study investigates the impact of supplementing quail diets with Calphos, a calcium source derived from oyster shells, on egg performance and quality. Calcium is a vital nutrient for laying birds, influencing egg production and shell integrity. Despite previous research exploring various calcium sources, there is a lack of clarity regarding their specific effects on quail productivity. This research addresses this gap by evaluating the effect of different concentrations of Calphos in water (20ml, 25ml, and 30ml per liter) on the number of eggs laid, laying rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and egg quality, including shell thickness, egg length, width, and weight. Using a Completely Randomized Design with four treatments and three replicates, the results reveal significant improvements in egg performance and quality, particularly with 20ml Calphos supplementation, which produced the highest laying rate and egg count. While FCR and shell thickness showed minimal improvement, egg weight, length, and width were significantly enhanced at higher Calphos concentrations (25ml and 30ml). These findings suggest that incorporating Calphos supplementation, especially at 20ml to 30ml per liter, can be an effective strategy for improving egg production and quality in quail farming. Further research is recommended to optimize dosage and assess the long-term economic impact on poultry production.
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