Comparison of the effects of different carotenes on egg yolk and hatching performance in breeder quail diets

In this study, effects of supplementation of different sources of pigment to wheat-based color pigment-free mixed feeds on hatchery performance and egg yolk pigmentation were investigated. 5 different pigments used in the experiment. To pigment-free, wheat-based control diet; 10 ppm Apoester, 10 ppm Canthaxanthin, 3% Px Agro (Clover extract; compare to other color pigments, content of proteins and nutrient iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenic has been prepared), 10 ppm Kemglo® brand5, 10 ppm Oroglo®brand20 (marigold extract) was added respectively. A total of 432 quail breeder (324 female and 108 male) according to randomized complete block design, with 6 male and 18 females had total 24 birds in each subgroups randomly distributed. At the end of 10 week feeding period; values of body weight, 222.35±1.93; 222.77±2.26; 217.37±5.20; 234.86±2.13; 224.06±2.83 ve 225.51±3.29 g were reported respectively for groups. Compared with the other groups PX Agro had higher live weight significantly (p<0.05). In this study in terms of feed consumption and feed efficiency, there were no significant differences between the groups (p> 0.05). In the 10-week study period obtained the average egg production data were 85.19±3.28%; 85.41±1.38%; 90.01±1.46%; 82.56±1.94%; 89.42±0.83% and 88.41±1.21% respectively for groups. It has been reported that the yield of canthaxanthin group were significantly lower than PX Agro, Kemglo®brand5 and Oroglo®brand20 supplemented groups (p<0.05). In terms of hatchability yield; Apoester group showed significant a higher yield than all of the groups except Oroglo®brand20 (marigold) supplemented group. In contrast to the egg mass and egg production data, PX agro and Kemglo®brand5 (dry paprika) groups were found to be the lowest hatchability yield. Survival percentage of Apoester used grub significantly higher than the group that used Px Agro (clover extract), but did not differ significantly from the other groups. Fertile and non fertile egg production did not differ significantly between the groups (p> 0.05). The total carotenoids content of eggs, according to groups were 1.88 ± 0.08; 12.96 ± 0.55; 19.63 ± 0.46; 28.47 ± 0.84; 8.17 ± 0.42 and 9.92 ± 0.23 µg/g determined respectively and among all groups, significant difference was found (p<0.05). Natural pigments which were PX Agro and Oroglo®brand20 investigated on the 5th and 10th weeks of experiment compare to the control and synthetic pigments supplemented groups provided significant deposition of vitamins E (p <0.05). The effect of pigments used in the study on egg yolk color scale DSM-YCF were 1.50 ± 0.51; 8.69 ± 0.08, 13.89 ± 0.06; 7.36 ± 0.04; 21.10 ± 0.10 and 4.69 ± 0.07 respectively. All groups have been identified as a significant level of differences were observed (p<0.05).