Influence of Feeding Wormwood (Artemisia Capillaris) on Quail Meat Productivity

Abstract

Recently, the requirements for the quality and safety of poultry products have significantly increased, what has notably limited the use of antibiotics in feeding poultry. This is one of the reasons for the growing interest in the use of phytogenic feed additives. We have conducted an experiment to determine the influence of Artemisia capillaris on young quail meat productivity. To carry out the experiment, we have formed five groups, each counting 100 quail heads. During the experiment, which lasted for 35 days, dried powdered wormwood (Artemisia capillaris) in the amount of 0.5%, 1.0 and 1.5% by weight of compound feed was introduced into the feed of birds of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th experimental groups. The experiment showed a positive effect of the studied factor on the body weight of quail; the highest body weight was in quail of the 3rd group – 251.03 g, and the lowest it was in the control group – 238.24 g. Also during the experiment, the lowest feed costs per 1 kg of body weight gain were in quail of the 3rd experimental group, which by this indicator exceeded the control group by 4.91%. Feeding wormwood as a part of the compound feed in the amount of 0.5 and 1.0% of the 2nd and 3rd experimental groups increased the weight of gutted carcass by 0.41–1.67%, while further increase of wormwood content to 1.5% in the feed of the 4th experimental group led to a decrease in the weight of gutted carcass by 0.26% compared to the control group