Effect of Adding Chia Seeds (Salvia L.) to Japanese Quail Diet on Productive Performance and Egg Quality

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of adding chia (Salvia hispanica) to Japanese quail diet on productive performance and egg quality. A total of 240 female were randomly distributed into four treatments with three replicates per each (10 bird/replicate). The experimental treatments were as follows: T1 control (without any addition), T2.T3 and T4 involved adding 4,8 and 12 g chia seeds/kg diet respectively. Results showed a significant increasing in egg production% in T4 at most of experimental weeks, moreover, egg mass was increased in all addition treatments. Feed consumption was significantly increased in T4 at 4 th ,5 th , and 8 th weeks, from other hand, T2 showed a significant improve in feed conversion ratio. With the progress in age, a significant increase was found in egg albumin and yolk height in T4. We can conclude from this study that adding chia seeds to Japanese quail female diet could increase egg production and feed consumption with the progress in age especially with the rate12g/kg diet.