Performance of growing Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed different levels of peeled cooked sun dried sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) meal diets

A six--week feeding trial was set up to investigate the effect of feeding peeled, cooked, sundried sweet potato tuber meal on growth parameters and digestibility of nutrients by Japanese quail chicks. Five isonitrogenous (25%CP) diets were compounded. The control diet (A) had zero sweet potato tuber meal. In the other four diets (B, C, D, and E), 25, 50, 75 and 100% of maize (respectively) was replaced by peeled, cooked, sundried sweet potato tuber meal. Sixty birds were randomly assigned to each diet in a completely randomized design. The diets were replicated three times with twenty birds per replicate. Feed and water were given ad libitum. Parameters measured were feed intake, water intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and feed cost/gain. Others were protein intake and energy intake in the course of the study. Feed intake was significantly (p