Effects of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) powder on laying performance, egg quality, and serum biochemical parameters of Japanese quails

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of stinging nettle powder (SNP) on laying performance, egg quality, and some selected serum biochemical parameters of quails. One hundred and forty-four 10-wk-old Japanese quails (initial body weight = 199 ± 18 g) were divided into 3 dietary treatment groups (basic diet without SNP [SNP0], SNP0 with 3% SNP [SNP3], SNP0 with 6% SNP [SNP6]) with 4 replicates of 12 quails for a rearing period of 12 wk. At 22 wk of age, the final body weights of the SNP3 and SNP6 groups were significantly (P = 0.001) reduced compared to that of the SNP0 group. Daily feed intake was not statistically different among the groups. The mean number of eggs laid ranged from 65 to 69 with laying rates from 76.8% to 82.1%. The percentage of cracked eggs was not significantly different among the groups and ranged from 1.6% to 1.9%. The egg weight was similar and the feed conversion ratio was closer among the groups. The egg yolk cholesterol, serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels in the SNP6 group were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) compared to those of the SNP0 group. Serum Ca, P and Mg were not significantly influenced by the supplementation. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that the supplementation of SNP to the quail diet at the level of 6% reduced quail egg yolk cholesterol, serum total cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels and did not negatively influence quail performance.