Effect of dietary germinated sorghum on growth performance, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters of growing Japanese quails

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of germination in improving the nutritive value of grain sorghum and the effect of using germinated sorghum (GS) as partially or completely replacement of yellow corn in growing Japanese quail diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters. A total number of two hundred and sixty-four 10-day-old Japanese quails were randomly distributed into four dietary treatment groups (each of 66), each treatment subdivided into 3 replicates (each of 22). Quail chicks in the first group fed corn-based diets (2922 kcal/kg feed and 24% crude protein) and served as control, while the chicks in the second, third and fourth groups received diets containing germinated sorghum as replacement of diet corn at levels 25, 50 and 100%, respectively. Results indicated that the inclusion of GS at all levels in growing Japanese quail diets had no significant effect on body weight, body gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and carcass characteristics measured among all dietary treatments. Blood cholesterol decreased significantly in birds fed GS at levels 50 and 100% as replacement of yellow corn compared to the other birds. Nevertheless, triglyceride significant reduced in group of birds that fed dietary GS at level 100% of yellow corn compared to the other groups. In conclusion, germinated sorghum could be safely incorporated in Japanese quail diets as replacement of yellow corn to improve growth rate and reduce the levels of serum cholesterol and triglyceride.