An experiment was conducted at the Quail Research and Production Unit, Environmental Studies and Research Institute (ESRI), University of Sadat City, Menufyia province, Egypt to evaluate the partial inclusion of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) in laying quail diets with or without Zaylam® supplementation. Two hundred and forty (240) of Japanese quail laying hens 6 weeks of age and 120 males were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design. A 2 x 4 factorial arrangement, with the variables being (DDGS) substitution for yellow corn and soybean meal at four levels (0, 10, 15 or 20%) and Zaylam at two levels (0 or 100 mg/ kg feed). Productive Performance, egg quality, nutrients digestibility, apparent retention (%) of Calcium, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and excretion of fecal nitrogen; some blood plasma parameters and economical efficiency were evaluated.
Results showed that:
1- average egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio and the change in body weight of laying Japanese quails were significantly (P<0.05) decreased as dietary inclusion of DDGS was increased.
2- No significant differences (P>0.05) in laying Japanese quail egg production(N/bird) or egg production as (%/bird); egg weights ;daily egg mass(g/bird /day)and total egg mass (g/bird) were observed when laying quails were fed diets with or without Zaylam supplementation.
3- Adding Zaylam to the diets containing 10% DDGS significantly improved both of Albumin height, Yolk height and Shell wt. as compared to the corresponding Zaylam -free diets.
4- The digestibility values were not significantly affected by the interaction between dietary corn DDGS and Zaylam supplementation, except for Ether Extract (EE).
5- No differences were observed for apparent nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium retention among the dietary enzyme effect. A linear increase was observed in N, P and Ca retention as DDGS levels was increased.