Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of the administration of active dry yeast and/or lactobacillus preparation (AVI-BAC), either before or after the infection with antibiotic resistant field strain of Escherichia coli O127 (E. coli O127) in controlling the severity of infection in quail chicks. The quail chicks of the different experimental groups were infected orally for two successive days with 3x107 CFU of E. coli O-127 as an individual dose. The used field strain proved to be highly pathogenic for quails. Probiotics were supplemented in the drinking water for the different treatment groups at a dose level of 0.5 gm/L. The results revealed that the inclusion of lactobacilli or active dry yeast before E. coli infection has been highly effective in reducing mortality rate, organ invasion and the number of E. coli positive quail chicks. In addition, it decreased the severity of macroscopic and microscopic lesions in different organs in the probiotic treated groups as comparedto the infected controls. Lactobacilli preparations were more efficient in controlling the severity of the infection. On the other hand, the administration of yeast and /or lactobacilli after inducing E. coli infection reduced the mortality rate and the severity of lesion score in different organs but probiotics failed to protect quail chicks against the infection. It has been proved that the two probiotics have synergistic effect in controlling collibacillosis in quails.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing maize in quail diets with graded levels of rumen filtrate-fermented cassava meal (FCM) on growth and egg production performances. Cassava meal (CM) was mixed with dried manure of layer at 75 g/kg CM, which was mixed with freshly collected rumen filtrate (at 1 L/5 kg CM), and finally fermented in sealed bags for 14 days. It was then sun-dried and added in grower or finisher diets at 0, 50, 75 and 100%. Then, 84 three weeks-old Japanese quails (Cortunix japonica) were divided into four equal groups; the birds were randomly assigned to 0, 50, 75 and 100% FCM grower/layers diets, and were reared until 56 days of age. Daily feed consumption, weekly body weights, weight gains, feed conversion ratios (FCR), hen-day, and egg weights were monitored. The quails fed with 75% FCM were found to be superior (p<0.05) for body weight, feed intake, weight gain, and egg weights. However, birds fed control diets had higher (p<0.05) hen-day, but lower (p<0.05) in egg weights. Complete replacement of maize with FCM (100%) had similar (p>0.05) effect on feed intake, body weight, and weight gain, as compared to those of fed control diets. Thus, replacing maize with FCM had no deleterious effects on growth performance, but depressed hen-day. However, better growth performance was obtained when maize was replaced at 75% FCM.

Quail meat has gained a reputation as an outstanding source of protein and other essential nutrients, giving it numerous advantages over other poultry species. However, quail production has some limitations. One of them is vulnerability to parasitic infections that produce severe economic losses. Consequently, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and molecular characterization of Anonchotaenia species infecting quails in Elbehera Governorate, Egypt. A total of 239 quails were examined for gastrointestinal parasites. The total prevalence of Anonchotaenia infection was 0.83%. The prevalence was 1.11% in the Edko district, but no infection was recorded in Rashid. The prevalence of infection in migrant quails was 2.21%, while no infection was recorded in domesticated quails. The prevalence was higher in males than in females. The 18S rRNA sequence of Egypt's Anonchotaenia species has 99% identity with Anonchotaenia brasiliensis. The phylogenetic tree of the 18S rRNA showed that sequence of Anonchotaenia sp. from Egypt is in the same clade as Anonchotaenia macrocephala from Brazil and Chile. Molecular characterization using 18S rRNA gene sequencing is valuable for parasitic helminth genetic identification in quails. The results presented a novel member of the genus Anonchotaenia in quails from Elbehera governorate, Egypt for the first time.

Due to their great nutritional value, distinct scent and taste, and lower price in contrast to other usual sources of protein, game birds' meat products are in higher demand. Toxic metals including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) are still present in these items, but there is a glaring lack of information on their presence. Therefore, this analysis was done to determine the residual level of lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic were still present in three different types of game bird’s meat, including pigeons, quails and sparrows. According to the study’s findings, Pb, Cd, Hg, and As were detected at variable concentrations in the tested samples. Residual concentrations of the tested metals in several samples are over the suggested maximum permissible limits (MPL). However, Cd was low in all samples and did not exceed MPL. Furthermore, the HQ ranged from 0.04 to 0.22 for cadmium, 1.16 to 1.34 for arsenic, 0.06 to 0.07 for lead and 0.05 to 0.35 for mercury. Although HQs of studied heavy metals except for arsenic did not exceed 1, it supposedly demonstrates that eating the meat of game birds does not pose a significant health risk to people for ingesting the particular metals.