Possible usage of fermented cereal grains in meat-type quails

Cereal grains of ground wheat, barley and oats were fermented in liquid whey with citrus pomace and copper sulphate for 8 h at 30 - 40 0C. Three diets contained 60% of dried fermented wheat (DFW), 57% of barley (DFB) and 57% of oat grains (DFO) to replace 60% of corn grain in a control diet (CON). In experiment 1, 192 of 1 day-old chicks in 16 cages (4 cages per each diet) were fed with the CON, DFW, DFB and DFO diets. In experiment 2, 48 of 21 day-old chicks in 12 cage groups (3 cage replicates per each diet) were fed with the diets for 15 days. Experiment 1: in comparison to CON, birds fed on DFW consumed the same amount of feed (FI), while produced significantly (P<0.05) high weight gain (WG), body weight (BW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Birds of DFB had similar BW and WG with the birds of CON, while had significantly (P<0.05) increased FI and worsened FCR in first two weeks. Thereafter, the birds on DFB had similar FI as the birds of CON with numerically better FCR values. The birds of DFO had significantly (P<0.05) reduced FI from 0 to day 35, with better FCR values. The birds on DFO had significantly (P<0.05) low BW and WG at day 7 and day 14, but hereafter they tended to compensate for BW and WG, to be closer to that of CON birds. Experiment 2: the birds fed on DFB and DFO had lowered FI, BW and WG, but with similar FCR values compared to the birds on CON and DFW. No significant differences were observed in FI, BW, WG and FCR values between the birds fed on DFW and CON. These changes in two different fattening periods were well reflected on the values of carcass yield and digestive tract development. The results concluded that DFW, and partially DFB significantly (P<0.05) improved bird's performance and can be used in a feeding period continued from day 0 to day 35. These beneficial effects were shaded if the fermented feed is started to be fed from 21 d old. Due to sporadic beneficial effects of DFB and DFO, especially DFO, the diets of fermented barley and oats must be fed to birds from day 7 or their inclusion levels is to be as low as below 50%.