Effect of Dietary Purslane (Portulaca Oleracea L.) Extract Supplementation on Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Quails under High Stocking Density

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with 2% purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) extract on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Japanese quails reared under high stocking density conditions. A total of 255 fifteen-day-old quails were randomly allocated into three groups: The control group (low stocking density, 160 cm²/bird, basal diet), the HS0 group (high stocking density, 80 cm²/bird, basal diet), and the HS2 group (high stocking density, 80 cm²/bird, basal diet supplemented with 2% purslane extract). The experiment lasted 28 days. Throughout the study, body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) were not significantly different among the groups (p>0.05). However, feed intake (FI) was significantly lower in the HS2 group during days 29–35 and across the total feeding period (days 15–42) (p<0.05). A significant improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in the HS2 group during the same period (p<0.05). Carcass traits were mostly unaffected, except for gizzard weight, which was significantly different among groups (p<0.05). In conclusion, while purslane extract had no effect on body weight under high stocking density, it improved feed efficiency. These findings indicate that purslane may be a useful natural supplement for enhancing performance in quail production under intensive rearing conditions.