Use of Maca Powder (Lepidium meyenii) as Feed Additive in Diets of Laying Quails at Different Ages: Its Effect on Performance, Eggshell Quality, Serum, Ileum, and Bone Properties

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Quail has become a popular poultry species, and it is usually used for egg production in Asia and for meat production in Europe and America. In laying quails, aging negatively affects productive performance, egg parameters, and reproductive hormones, just as it affects their bones and digestive systems. Farmers who raise quails suffer great losses due to this fact. There are several nutrients and bioactive substances in Maca with positive effects on hormones and digestive health, which makes it an excellent option for reducing the effects of aging. This study specifies the benefits of Maca powder on aging quails’ diet. The experimental data indicate that adding 1 g/kg Maca powder to a quail’s diet significantly improved eggshell, ileum, and bone traits that deteriorate with age, without affecting performance. Adding 2 g/kg Maca powder to a quail’s diet also significantly reduced serum cholesterol levels. Incorporating Maca powder into the diet of aged birds could reduce the negative effects of aging. ABSTRACT: Using additives can reduce the negative effects of aging on factors affecting profitability, such as the availability of nutrients, production, and egg quality. Maca is an herbaceous plant rich in protein, crude oil, essential acids, and pharmacological compounds. Maca has positive effects on different health parameters. In this study, the effect of adding Maca powder to the diets of young and old laying quails at the end of the 10-week trial was investigated. In total, 150 laying Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) (209.1 ± 10.0 g) were randomly distributed to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with two ages (10 weeks and 30 weeks) and three Maca powder levels (0, 1, or 2 g/kg), with five subgroups per treatment. According to the study, eggshell quality, total cholesterol, triglyceride, progesterone, and testosterone concentrations of serum were lower in old quail than in young quail, while egg weight, feed intake, and follicle-stimulating hormone increased significantly as quail aged. (p < 0.05). Furthermore, aging negatively affected the histomorphology of the ileum and cortical bone thickness (p < 0.05). Additional findings show that adding 1 g/kg Maca powder to the diet of quail significantly improved eggshell, ileum, and bone traits that deteriorate with age, without affecting performance, and adding 2 g/kg Maca powder to the diet significantly reduced serum total cholesterol levels (p < 0.05). Incorporating Maca powder into the diet of aged birds could reduce the negative effects of aging.