CARCASS QUALITY OF QUAILS WITH VARIOUS SOURCES OF METHIONINE IN MIXED FODDERS

Abstract

Methionine is one of the essential amino acids in feeding pigs and poultry and is the first limiting amino acid in poultry diets. Experts in animal nutrition can offset the need for methionine of animals in several ways: supplement to the diet raw materials with high content of amino acids or  addition of synthetic amino acids.

Satisfaction of animal needs in methionine due to the addition of its synthetic drug in the diet is the most economical and rational solution, since it avoids the excess level of unbalanced protein, which is often accompanied by a rise in diet and reduced animal productivity.

Comparatively recently, the L-methionine, chemical form, appeared on the market of fodder, which gives grounds to assert that it is the most favorable for use in an animal's organism. Animals do not need to spend extra living resources and energy to convert part of D-methionine to L-methionine.

So, the purpose of our research was to determine the influence of various sources of methionine in mixed fodders on the carcass quality of meat direction quails.

The experiments were carried out in the condition of the experimental base of department of animal nutrition and feed technologies of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. The object of the research were growing quails (breed Pharaoh). The experiment was conducted using the group-analog method. In the one-day age, 100 head of quails were selected for each group. It was formed 3 groups – one control and two experimental. In the selection of analogues considered the breed, age and body weight.

The experimental poultry was fed with full-fledged mixed fodders distributed twice a day (in the morning and in the evening), simultaneously taking into account their remains.

Poultry of all groups throughout the growing period (35 days) received basic diet with the addition of various sources of methionine to correspond to experiment. The nutritional and chemical composition of the mixed fodder used in the experiment was the same for all groups and differed only in growing periods.

In order to study the anatomical and morphological analysis of carcasses at the end of the scientific and economic experiment, control slaughtering of quails were carried out. The slaughter of poultry was carried out in an unilateral way. For slaughter were taken four heads (two females and two males) from each group. Poultry was selected for slaughter by live weight, which corresponded to the average value for the group.

The effect of using different sources of methionine (DL-methionine, L-methionine and МНА) in mixed fodder on carcass quality of young quails was studied. It is found that the use of mixed fodder with an optimum source of methionine helps to improve the carcass quality of young quails.

We have found that mixed fodder with the L-metonin contributes to increasing the mass of not gutted carcass, semi gutted carcass and gutted carcass of 12,5 (6,2%), 12,5 (6,2 %) 10,5 g (6,4 %), increases the mass of pectoral muscles and muscles of the pelvic limbs by 7,37 and 6, 49 g (18,2 % and 24,5 %) and mass of liver by 0,94 g.