Effect of optimum level of phytase supplementation in de-oiled rice bran, rice bran and wheat bran based rations on the performance of Japanese quails

An experiment was conducted to study the optimum level of phytase supplementation in de-oiled rice bran (DORB), rice bran (RB) and wheat bran (WB) based rations on the performance of Japanese quails. Seven hundred day old straight run Japanese quail chicks were randomly allotted to 7 experimental groups with 5 replicates each containing twenty chicks. The experimental groups included control (T₁) having 0.5% available phosphorus (P) and0.2% available P containing (T₂-T₇) DORB, RB and WB based diets with 0 and optimum levels of phytase. Phytase supplemented at the level of 100, 100, 100, 350, 300 IU/kg in maize, soya, DORB, rice bran and wheat bran rations respectively. Growth performance parameters viz., body weight, weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency were observed to be better in DORB, RB and WB based diets with phytase supplemented groups (T₃, T₅ and T₇) compared to non-supplemented groups (T₂, T₄ and T₆), but similar with control group (T1). There was no significant difference in livability per cent between treatment groups. Based on the above findings it can be concluded that supplementation of optimum level of phytase (100–350 IU/kg) in Japanese quail rations, the available phosphorus level can be reduced to 0.2 per cent without affecting the growth performance of birds.