Effect of dietary energy and lysine levels on cost of production and profit of meat production in “TANUVAS Namakkal gold Japanese quails”

Two biological trials were conducted to determine the energy and lysine requirements of “TANUVAS Namakkal gold Japanese quail” for production performance. The economic impact of different levels energy and lysine during the chick (0-2 weeks) and grower (3-5 weeks) phases was assessed using seven hundred and twenty straight-run, day-old chicks randomly grouped in nine treatments with four replicates of twenty chicks each. Three levels of energy (2800, 2900 and 3000 kcal/kg) and three levels of lysine (1.2, 1.3 and 1.4%) were tested for chick and grower phase of the first experiment. The net profit per bird (Rs. 8.49) was high in group T1 (low energy and low lysine) and the net profit per kg live weight (Rs. 48.57) was high in T2 (2900 kcal/kg and 1.2%). For the second experiment an energy level of 2700, 2800 and 2900 kcal/kg was fixed for chick and grower mash, lysine level of 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4% was fixed for chick phase and 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3% for grower phase and the crude protein level was fixed as 20.3 and 19.4 per cent for chick and grower mash respectively for the second trial. The net profit per bird (Rs. 7.18) was high in group T6 and the net profit per kg live weight (Rs. 37.62) was high in T6 (2900 kcal/kg and 1.3% lysine during chick phase and 1.2% lysine during the grower phase).

Seasonal variations in composting process of dead poultry birds

Composting of dead birds with caged layer manure (CLM) and farm yard manure (FYM) was carried out to study the feasibility of composting as an alternative for disposal in Tamil Nadu State, India. The dead birds were sequentially layered with manure substrate and carbon source as per recipes formulated in mini-compost bins (4 x 4 x 4 feet). The temperature profile of both CLM and FYM group reached the peak by second week of composting and started declining steadily. The temperature profile was better during summer and monsoon and bins were able to maintain temperature above 60 degrees C (thermophilic) for 3-4 weeks. Season had no influence on attainment of peak temperature and it ranged between 51.8 and 70.4 degrees C. The persistency of thermophilic temperature (above 55 degrees C) was prolonged during summer (17.5-65 days) followed by monsoon (24-39 days) and winter (15.5-21.5 days). No putrefied or obnoxious odour or fly menace was observed during all the seasons of composting. The composting process took 107-127.5 days to finish during summer, 84.5-91 days in monsoon and 61.5-73.5 days in winter. The FYM was able to retain moisture higher (41-54% at the end of primary stage and 27.5-48.2% at the end of secondary stage) than CLM group (17.5-39.3% at primary stage and 20.4-33.5% in secondary stage). Weight reduction was more in FYM group (31.8-58.7%) than CLM group (19.3-48.6%). The volume reduction was uniform in all the seasons, it ranged between 39% and 59.3%.