EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF BASIL AND PEPPERMINT AN ESSENTIAL OILS ON PRODUCTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF TWO QUAIL LINES DURING EGG PRODUCTION PERIOD

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of basil (Ocimum basillicum L.) and peppermint (Mentha piperita) as an essential oils supplementation to the diet on some productive and physiological performance of two lines (Brown and Golden) of laying quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Totally 240 quail birds of 8 weeks of age were used (120 brown line and 120 golden line), were randomly assigned to five treatment diets for both lines. The first treatments were fed a basal diet (BD) and served as a control group. The second and third treatments involved feeding the basal diet supplemented with Basil essential oil (BEO) at levels of (300 and 600 mg/kg). The fourth and fifth treatments involved feeding the BD supplemented with peppermint essential oil (PEO) at two levels of (300 and 600 mg/kg).The results revealed decreasing in feed intake for dietary treatments supplemented with adding 600 mg/kg of BEO compared to control group. Feed intake of (300 mg/kg) from PEO supplementation was increased than all other treatments. Addition BEO and PEO showed improving in feed conversion ratio than the control group. Dietary supplementation with 300 PEO caused increase in egg weight compared to other experimental treatments. Supplementation the diet with (300 and 600 mg/kg) of the BEO or PEO showed increase in egg mass and egg production in comparison with the control group. Yolk percentage of 600 BEO and 300 PEO supplementation treatments was better than other experimental treatments. Dietary supplementation with 300 BEO, 600 BEO and 600 PEO increased shell percent than other treatments. The inclusion of (300, 600 mg/kg) BEO and (600mg/kg) PEO resulted in an increase in total protein, albumin and A/G ratio compared to the control group. There was increase for the brown line in body weights at 8 and 16 weeks of age, feed intake, egg production, egg weights and mass, total protein, albumen, globulin and A/G ratio compared to the golden line during the laying period. The golden line was of higher hemoglobin and PCV% values than the brown line. Generally, it was concluded from this study that supplementation the diet of brown and golden quail with (300 and 600 mg/kg) of basil and peppermint essential oils improved feed conversion ratio and egg production performance.