Effect of Different Chromium Picolinate Levels as Feed Additives on Quail Meat Characteristics

This study investigates the effect of different chromium picolinate levels asfood supplementation and sex on Japanese quail meat characteristics. Ninety Japanesequail chicks with one day of age were reared in 340C temperature and continuously feedand water providing at the Faculty of Agriculture , University of Diyala animals’ field,vitamins were provided with water and temperature were monitored continuously. Birdswere allocated for three treatments with convergent of weight average when reached theage of 14 days, each treatment contain three replicates and ten birds for each replicate,each replicate birds were rearing in cage with 50×50×50cm for four weeks (until 42 dayof age), all treatments birds were provide with free same ration and chromium wasadded to the treatments ration as follows: control treatment: without chromium,treatment one (T1) adding 250μg (0.25mlg) chromium picolinate/kg ration, treatmenttwo (T2) adding 500μg (0.5mlg) chromium picolinate/kg ration. After the period of theexperiment finished, six birds were selected randomly from each treatment (three fromeach sex) and weighted then slaughtered, many measurements were taken from meatand carcasses, including hot and cold carcass weight, dressing percentage, carcass cutsweight, breast and leg cooking loss, thawing loss and meat chemical composition.Statistical analyses show that no clear effect of supplementation on these measurementsand no real benefits from adding it with quail ration in this ratio and this experimentconditions and traits. It might be concluded that the chromium presented normally inration and water was adequate to normal quail requirement and chromiumsupplementation may not be essential. Higher chromium ratio should be tested.