LOW PROTEIN DIETS FORTIFIED WITH AMINO ACIDS CRYSTAL IMPROVES LITTER QUALITY AND ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT OF FEMALE QUAILS (CORTUNIX JAPONICA)

Abstract

Substantial portion of gases responsible for both natural and human made environmental hazards are from wastes emanating from livestock production units. Efforts have been made by animal nutritionists towards developing feeding regimes that will sustainably limit the release of nitrous oxides. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of decreasing dietary crude protein levels by partial replacement of soybean meal with same free amino acid profile in growing quails on litter quality and environmental impact. Two hundred female quails were randomly allotted to diets containing optimum crude protein (T1), 1% crude protein (CP) reduction (T2), 2 % CP reduction (T3) and 3% CP reduction (T4) in a completely randomized design for fifty six days feeding trial. Reducing dietary crude protein content up to 3% resulted in better litter quality (6.23) compared to the control fed birds (3.78). Similarly, 0.6 % lower dietary Crude protein content with balanced free amino acids leads to a decrease in 5% calculated dietary carbon foot print. Thus, low dietary crude protein  diets especially, 3% reduction can mitigate and guarantee sustainable reduction in most oxides released during livestock production that promote environmental hazards without affecting animal performance. However, its adoption requires a multifaceted approach.