The Effect of Using Bovine Colostrum and Probiotics on Performance, Egg Traits, Blood Biochemical and Antioxidant Status of Laying Japanese Quails

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In addition to proteins and carbohydrates, colostrum contains antibodies. Quails can benefit from the consumption of colostrum as a source of probiotics and as a reduction in antibiotic usage, which helps improve their performance and reduce their environmental impact. In the current study, we found that the continuous use of bovine colostrum (BC) in the diet of laying Japanese quails during the late laying period improved egg production performance, egg traits, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant status. ABSTRACT: The present paper aims to evaluate the effect of different levels of bovine colostrum and probiotic dietary supplementation on egg production performance, egg traits, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry and antioxidant status of laying Japanese quails. For the trial, 240 laying quails, aged between 24 weeks and 30 weeks, were involved in a 3 × 2 factorial experimental design, with 3 levels of bovine fresh colostrum (0, 2, and 4 percent of the total ratio) and 2 levels of probiotics (0 and 0.01 percent of the total ratio) administration. The colostrum supplementation improved the egg production performance, egg traits, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant status (p < 0.01). Probiotics used without colostrum did not affect the investigated traits of laying Japanese quails (p > 0.05), but a synergistic effect was observed when combined with colostrum. The overall results recommended that using 4% of bovine colostrum in laying Japanese quails, with the addition of 0.01% of probiotic feed additive results in positive effects on egg production performance, egg traits, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant status of laying Japanese quails in the late laying period.