effect of seed powder and alcoholic extract of peganum harmala on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass traits in japanese quail reared in litter and tier cage systems

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of peganum harmala seed powder (phsp) and alcoholic peganum harmala seed extract (phse) on growth performance, carcass parameter, and nutrient digestibility in japanese quails reared on the litter and in tier cages. nine hundred and sixty day-old japanese quails were kept on the litter and in the tier cages and received a control (basal diet) and diets containing 0.2% phsp, 0.2% phse, or 0.05% maduramycin® coccidiostat. the experiment consisted of eight treatments, each with four replicates, and each replicate contained 30 quails. statistical analysis was performed using sas software (version 9.4) in a completely randomized design. the birds had free access to feed and water and were raised under the same climatic conditions. body weight and feed intake were measured weekly. final body weight, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, and fat digestibility of quail on the litter system were 6.83%, 9.91%, 9.76% and 15.77% better than those in the tier cages. the final body weight, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, fat and dry matter digestibility of the birds receiving peganum harmala seed extract were 3.99%, 5.52, 7.27%, 4.52% and 10.44% greater than the control treatment respectively. the data suggested that 0.2% peganum harmala seed extract could be added to the diet of quails reared on the litter.