ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An experiment was designed to determine the effect of using lactic acid bacteria as alternative antibiotic growth promoters on external and internal quality of egg's Coturnix coturnix japonica. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Coturnix coturnix japonica (n=240, 14 weeks of age) were randomly distributed into six treatment groups. The treatments were P0 (free antibiotic feed), P1 (free antibiotic feed with 1 gram antibiotic growth promoters (AGP)/100kg feed), P2 (free antibiotic feed with 5 gram probiotic/100kg feed), P3 (free antibiotic feed with 10 grams probiotic/100kg feed), P4 (free antibiotic feed with 5 gram probiotic/200L drinking water), and P5 (free antibiotic feed with 10 gram probiotic/200L drinking water). Probiotic contained Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) culture (1.2 × 108 CFU/gram). To assess the quality parameters, twenty eggs were randomly collected from each treatment at the end of the experimental period, and the data were analysed using one way Anova. RESULTS: Results of the external quality indicated that egg's weight, length, and width, along with the shell weight and thickness were significantly different (P<0.05) after treatment. Likewise, the results of internal egg quality indicated that yolk color, height, width, and length, together with the albumen height, width, length, index and haugh unit were significantly different (P <0.05) after treatment. CONCLUSION: It was concluded from this research that dietary supplementation with probiotic which contains L. casei and L. rhamnosus could be used in laying Japanese quail with benefit on external and internal egg quality.
