Effect of Dietary Black Seed<i>(Nigella sativa L.)</i>Extract Supplementation on Laying Performance and Egg Quality of Quail<i>(Coturnix cotnurnix japonica)</i>

Abstract

Abstract Denli, M., Okan, F. and Uluocak, A.N. 2004. Effect of dietary black seed (Nigella sativa L.) extract supplementation on laying performance and egg quality of quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). J. Appl. Anim. Res., 26: 73–76. To measure the influence of dietary black seed extracts on performance and egg quality characteristics in laying quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) from 9–21 weeks of age, a total 45 layer quail (8 weeks, 226.3 g), were randomly distributed into three groups. The black seed extracts were supplemented at 0, 1 and 2glkgina standard layer diet and each of the three test diets was offered ad libitum to birds housed individually in laying cages from 9 to 21 weeks of age. The egg production, feed efficiency, egg weight, shell weight, shell thickness, albumen height, albumen length and yolk height were higher in the group consuming 1 g/kg black seed extracts (P<0.05). However, there were no differences for live weight changes, feed intake, shape index, albumen weight, albumen width and yolk calibre among birds fed treatment diets (P<0.05). Use of 1 g/kg black seed extract is recommended for laying quails.