Influence of in ovo injection of L-arginine on productive and physiological performance of quail

This study evaluated the influence of inoculation of different levels of L–arginine into eggs of 0-day-old quail embryos. On 0 day of incubation, 480 eggs (120 for each treatment group) were injected with 0% arginine (C group); 1% arginine (T1); 2% arginine (T2); or 3% arginine (T3). After hatching, 336 quail chicks (84 chicks produced from each in ovo injection treatment) were placed in an experimental quail house and distributed into 4 treatment groups of 3 replicates each with 16 quail chicks for each replicate. Traits determined in this study were hatchability rate, initial body weight (7 days of age), final body weight (42 days old), feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, proportional weights of carcass, breast, legs, back bone, wings, neck, abdominal fat, liver, heart, and gizzard, blood serum glucose, protein, cholesterol, total lipids, triglycerides, calcium and phosphorus and Results revealed that in ovo injection with different levels of L–arginine on 0 day of incubation resulted in significant increase (P≤0.05) in hatchability rate, initial body weight, final body weight, feed conversion ratio and serum glucose, protein, total protein, calcium, phosphorus and proportional weights of carcass, breast, legs, liver, heart, and gizzard and significant decrease (P≤0.05) in serum cholesterol, total lipids, triglycerides and proportional weight of back bone, wings and abdominal fat. In conclusion, the inoculation of different levels of L–arginine into eggs of 0–day–old quail embryos especially at the levels of 2% and 3% resulted in significant improvement in productive and physiological performance of quail. Hence in ovo injection with L–arginine could be used as a beneficial tool for enhance productive performance of quail.