British Poultry Science

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Dietary high-protein distiller’s dried grains with

solubles can fully replace soybean meal in diets for
meat quails without affecting growth performance

B. C. R. Silva, M. Sbardella, A. Corassa, L. W. de Freitas, C. V. de Araújo, F. L.

Velasquez Moreno, S. M. Marcato & A. P. S. Ton

To cite this article: B. C. R. Silva, M. Sbardella, A. Corassa, L. W. de Freitas, C. V. de

Araújo, F. L. Velasquez Moreno, S. M. Marcato & A. P. S. Ton (2023) Dietary high-protein
distiller’s dried grains with solubles can fully replace soybean meal in diets for meat
quails without affecting growth performance, British Poultry Science, 64:2, 252-258, DOI:
10.1080/00071668.2022.2133595

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2022.2133595

Published online: 11 Nov 2022.

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BRITISH POULTRY SCIENCE
2023, VOL. 64, NO. 2, 252–258
https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2022.2133595

Dietary high-protein distiller’s dried grains with solubles can fully replace soybean
meal in diets for meat quails without affecting growth performance
B. C. R. Silva a**, M. Sbardella a, A. Corassa a
, L. W. de Freitas a
, C. V. de Araújo a
, F. L. Velasquez Moreno a
,
S. M. Marcato b and A. P. S. Ton a
a
Institute of Agrarian and Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sinop, Brazil; bDepartment of Animal Science, State
University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

1. The purpose of this study was to determine the metabolisable energy of high-protein distiller’s Received 29 September 2021
dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS) for meat quail (Coturnix coturnix coturnix; Experiment I) and Accepted 20 September 2022
evaluate the effects of dietary levels of HP-DDGS on animal performance, carcase characteristics, meat KEYWORDS
quality, and organ weights (Experiment II). HP-DDGS; metabolisability;
2. In Experiment 1, 96 meat quail were distributed in a completely randomised design with two quail; performance; carcase
treatments (reference or test diet) and six replicates of eight birds. The experimental period consisted
of 5 d adaptation, followed by 5 d total excreta collection. The experimental diets consisted of
a reference (control) and a test diet formulated with 800 g/kg reference diet and 200 g/kg HP-DDGS.
3. In Experiment 2, 612 meat quail were distributed in a completely randomised design fed one of six
dietary levels of HP-DDGS (0, 85, 170, 255, 340, or 425 g/kg) as a replacement for soybean meal. At 42
d of age, birds were slaughtered and evaluated for carcase yield, organ weights, and meat quality.
4. Apparent metabolisable energy values corrected for nitrogen retention of HP-DDGS were 12.5 and
12.3 MJ/kg for males and females, respectively.
5. In the starter phase (1–21 d of age), increasing dietary HP-DDGS levels had a quadratic effect on
body weight (BW) (P = 0.020) and body weight gain (BWG) (P = 0.019). The maximum BW and BWG
values were estimated to be achieved with 296.0 and 296.2 g/kg dietary HP-DDGS, respectively.
Overall (1–42 d of age), increasing dietary HP-DDGS levels in replacement of soybean meal did not
affect animal performance, carcase yield, meat quality or organ weight in meat quail.
6. It was concluded that dietary HP-DDGS can fully replace soybean meal in meat quail diets without
affecting growth performance, carcase yield, meat quality or organ weight.

Introduction
Agroindustrial coproducts have been added to poultry diets
as partial replacement for maize and soybean meal in order
to reduce production costs (Liu 2011). Maize-based ethanol
has been increasingly used worldwide as a renewable energy
source and fermentation coproduct (unfermented protein,
lipids, fibre, and mineral matter), increasing the availability
of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) for use in feed
(Kumar and Singh 2019). Maize DDGS contains high levels
of proteins, amino acids, energy, and minerals. However, the
exact composition of maize DDGS varies because of maize
grain composition and industrial methods used for ethanol
production and coproduct drying (Martinez-Amezcua et al.
2007; Abd El-Hack et al. 2015). Accordingly, inclusion levels
of maize DDGS in poultry feed may vary depending on the
nutritional composition and nutrient and energy availability
of the coproduct. Continuous evaluation of metabolisable
energy and nutrient digestibility of ethanol coproducts is
necessary for the correct formulation of quail diets.
In the maize-ethanol industry, fibre-removing technolo­
gies are applied prior to the fermentation to improve etha­
nol yield and increase DDGS crude protein to levels above
400 g/kg (Schingoethe 2008). High-protein DDGS (HP-
DDGS) has a higher concentration and digestibility of
energy and amino acids, as well as lower fibre than
conventional DDGS (Kim et al. 2008; Jacela et al. 2010).
Therefore, it might be possible to add greater amounts of
HP-DDGS to poultry diets without affecting performance
(Jung and Batal 2010), which would allow greater replace­
ment of expensive high-protein feedstuffs, such as soybean
meal (Fries-Craft and Bobeck 2019).
The purposes of the following study were to (i) determine
the metabolisable energy and nutrient digestibility of HP-
DDGS for male and female meat quail (Coturnix coturnix
coturnix) (Experiment I) and (ii) assess the effects of dietary
levels of HP-DDGS on animal performance, carcase charac­
teristics, meat quality, and organ weights (Experiment II).
Material and methods
All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional
Animal Ethics Committee (process no. 23108.046809/2019–01).
The analysed composition of maize HP-DDGS used in
Experiments I and II was as follows: 964.3 g/kg dry matter
(DM), 961.8 g/kg organic matter (OM), 419.0 g/kg crude
protein (CP), 136.8 g/kg ether extract (EE), 365.0 g/kg neu­
tral detergent fibre (NDF), 38.2 g/kg mineral matter (MM),
5.8 g/kg total phosphorus (P), and 21.9 MJ/kg gross energy
(GE). Quail were housed in galvanised wire cages (25 cm
wide × 35 cm deep × 18 cm high) equipped with a trough-

CONTACT A. P. S. Ton ana.ton@ufmt.br Institute of Agrarian and Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Alexandre Ferronato Avenue,
1200, Residencial Cidade Jardim, Sinop, Mato Grosso 78550-728, Brazil
*Present address: Department of Animal Science, State University of Maringá, Colombo Avenue, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020–900, Brazil
© 2022 British Poultry Science Ltd
 BRITISH POULTRY SCIENCE 253

type feeder, automatic nipple and cup drinkers, and metal
trays for excreta collection. Water and feed were provided ad
libitum. Birds were maintained on a 23:1 h light/dark photo­
period for 42 d.
Experiment 1: determination of the metabolisable
energy of HP-DDGS for meat quail
In total, 96 meat quail (Coturnix coturnix coturnix) aged 35
d and weighing, on average, 199.3 ± 45.5 g, were evenly dis­
tributed in a completely randomised design using two feed
treatments with six littered pen replicates containing eight
birds each. The experimental diets consisted of a reference
(control) and a test diet. The reference diet (Table 1) was
based on maize and soybean meal and formulated to meet
the nutritional requirements of meat quail (Silva and Costa
2009). The test diet contained 800 g/kg reference diet and
200 g/kg HP-DDGS on an as-fed basis.
The excreta collection method was adopted, with 2 g/kg
ferric oxide (Fe3O2) used as a marker at the beginning and
end of the collection period. The experimental period con­
sisted of 5 d adaptation to metabolic cages and experimental
diets, followed by 5 d total excreta collection. Excreta samples
were collected twice daily (7 a.m. and 4 p.m.), stored in
labelled plastic bags, and frozen according to a method
adapted from Sibbald and Slinger (1963). At the end of the
experiment, excreta samples were thawed, homogenised,
weighed, and dried in a forced ventilation oven at 55°C for
72 h. Thereafter, samples were ground, sieved through a 1
mm screen, and analysed for DM, OM, CP, EE, NDF, MM,
P and gross energy (GE), according to AOAC methods
(2005).
Feed intake, excreta production, and chemical composi­
tion of diets and excreta were used to calculate DM, CP, EE
and NDF digestibility coefficients. The MM and P retention
coefficients of HP-DDGS were calculated using the equation
proposed by Adeola (2000). The apparent metabolisable
energy (AME) and apparent metabolisable energy corrected
for nitrogen retention (AMEn) for HP-DDGS were deter­
mined using the equations published by Matterson et al.
(1965). The AMEn was calculated using a nitrogen correc­
tion factor of 8.22 using the equation published by Hill and
Anderson (1958).
Experiment 2: effects of dietary HP-DDGS levels on
animal performance and carcase characteristics
Six hundred and twelve, unsexed meat quail (C. coturnix
coturnix), aged 1 day old with an initial weight of 9.0 ±
0.2 g, were distributed in a completely randomised
design with six dietary treatments allocated to six repli­
cate pens per treatment each containing 17 birds
(denoted as the experimental unit). At the end of the
experimental period, the male/female ratio was quanti­
fied in each pen.
Quail were fed diets containing increasing levels of HP-
DDGS (0, 85, 170, 255, 340, or 425 g/kg). Experimental diets
(Table 1) were formulated based on the feedstuff composi­
tion values and nutrient requirements for meat quail pro­
posed by Silva and Costa (2009), except for maize HP-DDGS.
The chemical composition and AMEn of HP-DDGS were
determined in Experiment 1. The digestible amino acid pro­
file was calculated using the equations proposed by Zhu et al.
(2018) which was used for the formulation of the diets.
Dietary HP-DDGS inclusion levels (0, 85, 170, 255, 340, or
425 g/kg) were defined using equally spaced intervals
between zero and complete replacement of soybean meal.
Feedstuff quantities were adjusted to maintain the same diet­
ary energy and nutrient levels.
Birds and feed consumption (by weigh-back for uneaten
feed) were weighed weekly. Body weight (BW), body weight
gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio

Table 1. Composition and calculated values of reference diet and diets with different levels of high-protein distiller’s dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS) supplied
to meat quail.
HP-DDGS Levels, g/kg
Ingredient, g/kg Reference diet 0 85 170 255 340 425
Maize 564.7 554.9 550.0 545.1 540.5 536.2 532.3
Soybean meal, 460 g/kg CP 395.7 386.1 309.5 232.6 155.4 77.9 0.0
HP-DDGS 0.0 0.0 85.0 170.0 255.0 340.0 425.0
Soybean oil 10.0 27.2 21.9 16.5 11.1 5.6 0.0
Limestone 9.8 10.2 10.6 11.0 11.5 11.9 12.3
Dicalcium phosphate 9.4 10.0 10.4 10.8 11.4 11.5 11.9
Salt 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.4
DL-Methionine 2.7 3.2 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.5
L-Lysine.HCl 0.04 0.6 2.0 3.3 4.6 5.9 7.3
L-Threonine 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.8 1.1
L-Tryptophan 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.4
Trace-mineral and vitamin premix1 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0
Calculated values, g/kg
Crude protein 230.0 224.0 224.0 224.0 224.0 224.0 224.0
Ether extract 42.8 59.2 62.8 66.3 69.7 73.1 76.3
NDF 131.7 129.1 151.9 174.6 197.4 220.2 242.9
Calcium 7.5 7.8 7.8 7.8 7.8 7.8 7.8
Available phosphorus 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Sodium 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7
Digestible lysine 11.4 11.8 11.8 11.8 11.8 11.8 11.8
Digestible met+cis 8.9 9.2 9.2 9.2 9.2 9.2 9.2
Digestible threonine 7.9 7.7 7.4 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2
Digestible tryptophan 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.1 1.9 1.8 1.8
AME, MJ/kg 12.4 12.8 12.8 12.8 12.8 12.8 12.8
1
Mineral and vitamin premix provided per kg of diet: Manganese 5.8 g; zinc 5 g; iron 5 g; copper 1.2 g; iodine 100 mg; selenium 32 mg; retinyl acetate (vitamin A)
300 mg; cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) 5 mg; α-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) 2.500 mg; menadione 200 mg; thiamine 150 mg; riboflavin 600 mg; pyridoxine 240
mg; vitamin B12 1.200 µg; folic acid 70 mg; pantothenic acid 1.2 g; biotin 7 mg; niacin 3.5 g; choline 35 g.
NDF = neutral detergent fibre; AME = apparent metabolisable energy.
254 B. C. R. SILVA ET AL.

Table 2. Digestibility and retention coefficients for high-protein distiller's dried grains with solubles (HP-
DDGS) for meat quails.
Sex
Coefficients, % Male Female SEM P-value
Dry matter 69.0 67.5 0.63 0.119
Organic matter 71.4 70.2 0.53 0.279
Crude protein 74.8a 72.3b 0.89 0.011
Ether extract 88.3 88.2 0.54 0.871
Neutral detergent fibre 49.8 46.3 1.69 0.350
Mineral matter 26.9 24.6 1.94 0.402
Total phosphorus 26.5 20.1 3.82 0.151
Gross energy 60.0 58.6 0.44 0.722
AME, MJ/kg 13.14 12.84 0.418 0.711
AMEn, MJ/kg 12.51 12.29 0.366 0.760
a,b
Means having different superscripts within the row are significantly different (P < 0.05).
SEM = Standard error of the mean; AME = apparent metabolisable energy; AMEn = apparent metaboli­
sable energy corrected for nitrogen retention.

(FCR) were calculated for the starter phase (1–21 d) and the
entire growth period (1–42 d).
At 42 d of age, birds were fasted for 8 h and then two quail
were selected from each pen according to the mean weight of
the cage ±10% and sacrificed for carcase and cut yields, organ
weight and meat quality. Quail were desensitised by electro­
narcosis, slaughtered by decapitation with surgical scissors
and scalded in 55°C water for a maximum of 3 min.
Subsequently, the birds were plucked and manually eviscer­
ated. Yield was calculated by dividing the weight of eviscer­
ated carcase (without feet, head, or abdominal fat) by fasted
live weight. Breast meat and leg yields were calculated by
dividing the weight of the breast and legs (thigh and leg),
respectively, with skin and bones by the eviscerated
carcase weight.
The empty proventriculus, gizzard, pancreas and liver
were weighed, and the small and large intestines were mea­
sured. Organ weights were calculated in relation to fasted live
weight. Breast meat (Pectoralis major) samples were used to
analyse meat quality and pH was measured with a portable
metre (HI 99 163, Hanna Instruments, Barueri, SP, Brazil)
immediately after cooling (0 h, pH0 h) and 24 h post-mortem
(pH24 h).
Water holding capacity (WHC) and cooking loss were
analysed 24 h post-mortem. The WHC was determined by
a method adapted from Ramos and Gomide (2017). Briefly,
meat samples weighing approximately 2 g were placed
between two sheets of filter paper and then between two
glass plates and left under a 10 kg weight for 5 min. After
pressing, samples were weighed and water loss was calculated
by difference. Results were expressed as percentage of exuded
water in relation to the initial weight.
For determining cooking losses, fillet samples (15 g) were
wrapped in aluminium foil, and cooked on both sides on
a pre-heated metal plate at 180°C until the internal tempera­
ture reached 82–85°C (Honikel 1987). After cooking, the
fillets were removed from aluminium foil and cooled on
absorbent paper at room temperature (26°C). Subsequently,
samples were weighed, and the amount of water lost during
cooking was calculated by difference. Cooking loss was
defined as the difference between initial (raw fillet) and
final (cooked fillet) weights.
Statistical analysis
Data were subjected to analysis of variance using the general
linear model procedure (PROC GLM) of SAS software (SAS
Institute Inc., Cary, NC). For Experiment 1, differences in the
mean values of HP-DDGS digestibility coefficients and meta­
bolisable energy were compared between males and females
(P < 0.05). For Experiment 2, the dose – response effects of
dietary HP-DDGS levels on animal performance, carcase
characteristics, organ weights, meat quality and economic
analysis were analysed by linear and quadratic contrasts.
A non-orthogonal contrast was used to compare differences
between the control diet and those containing HP-DDGS (P
< 0.05). The proportion of males and females in each experi­
mental unit was the applied covariate in the statistical model.
Results
Digestibility coefficients and metabolisable energy of
HP-DDGS (Experiment 1)
The AMEn of HP-DDGS for male and female quail was 12.5
and 12.3 MJ/kg, respectively (Table 2). The DM, OM, EE,
NDF and GE digestibility coefficients, AME, AMEn and MM
and P retention coefficients did not differ between males and
females (P > 0.05). However, CP retention was higher for
males than females (P = 0.011).
Effects of dietary HP-DDGS levels on animal
performance and carcase characteristics (Experiment 2)
Overall, the use of dietary HP-DDGS as a replacement for
soybean meal did not affect meat quail growth performance
(P < 0.05). During the starter phase (1–21 d of age), dietary HP-
DDGS levels had a quadratic relationship with BW (P = 0.020)
and BWG (P = 0.019), but did not affect FI or FCR (P > 0.05;
Table 3). Maximum BW and BWG were attained with HP-
DDGS levels of 296.0 and 296.2 g/kg, respectively (Table 3).
For the entire growth period (1–42 d of age), there was no
effect (P > 0.05) of HP-DDGS level on quail productive per­
formance (Table 3). Furthermore, HP-DDGS level did not
influence (P > 0.05) carcase or meat quality (Table 4), or
organ weights (Table 5).
Discussion
Digestibility coefficients and metabolisable energy of
HP-DDGS (Experiment 1)
The AMEn of HP-DDGS (12.4 MJ/kg) for quail was about
8.8% higher than that reported for broiler chickens (11.4 ±
 BRITISH POULTRY SCIENCE 255

Table 3. Growth performance of meat quail fed with diets containing different levels of high-protein distiller’s dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS).
HP-DDGS Levels, g/kg P-value
Variables 0 85 170 255 340 425 SEM 0 vs HP1 Linear2 Quadratic2
Starter phase (1–21 days)
Body weight at 21 days, g 100.0 90.6 97.2 103.4 109.2 98.8 1.47 0.959 0.019 0.020
Body weight gain, g/bird 91.0 81.7 88.3 94.5 100.3 89.9 1.46 0.972 0.018 0.019
Feed intake, g/bird 167.5 168.9 177.5 182.5 176.1 170.8 3.63 0.951 0.393 0.364
Feed conversion ratio 1.85 2.08 2.03 1.96 1.77 1.91 0.049 0.449 0.127 0.583
Entire growth period (1–42 days)
Body weight gain, g/bird 199.4 193.1 193.4 206.6 206.1 196.5 2.96 0.977 0.402 0.245
Feed intake, g/bird 502.5 486.8 519.7 539.7 514.4 487.9 12.97 0.792 0.951 0.250
Feed conversion 2.52 2.56 2.70 2.64 2.50 2.50 0.077 0.766 0.601 0.635
1
A non-orthogonal contrast was used to compare differences between the control diet and diets containing HP-DDGS (0 vs HP).
2
Linear and quadratic contrasts were used to evaluate the dose-response effects of dietary HP-DDGS levels (85, 170, 255, 340 and 425 g/kg).
SEM = Standard error of the mean.
ŶBW 21 days = 76.097 + 0.193X–0.0003X2; R2 = 0.24.
ŶBWG 1–21 days = 67.160 + 0.194X–0.0003X2; R2 = 0.24.

Table 4. Carcase characteristics and meat quality of quails fed with diets containing different levels of high-protein distiller’s dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS).
HP-DDGS Levels, g/kg P-value
Variables 0 85 170 255 340 425 SEM 0 vs HP1 Linear2 Quadratic2
Yield, g/100 g
Carcase 76.4 73.3 72.7 72.8 77.6 75.0 0.81 0.354 0.208 0.917
Breast meat 25.3 25.9 26.5 25.6 26.7 27.0 0.42 0.899 0.356 0.744
Legs 24.3 24.0 23.9 24.0 25.0 25.0 0.32 0.922 0.247 0.716
Meat quality
pH0 h 6.20 6.17 6.06 6.29 6.25 6.20 0.079 0.389 0.196 0.143
pH24 h 5.96 6.13 6.04 6.10 6.08 6.05 0.023 0.062 0.461 0.887
WHC 30.5 30.0 30.5 31.3 33.6 30.5 0.41 0.580 0.241 0.178
Cooking loss 21.5 21.0 20.1 19.7 23.8 21.4 0.80 0.835 0.345 0.818
1
A non-orthogonal contrast was used to compare differences between the control diet and diets containing HP-DDGS (0 vs HP).
2
Linear and quadratic contrasts were used to evaluate the dose-response effects of dietary HP-DDGS levels (85, 170, 255, 340 and 425 g/kg).
SEM = Standard error of the mean; WHC = water holding capacity.

Table 5. Organ weights of meat quails fed with diets containing different levels of high-protein distiller’s dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS).
HP-DDGS Levels, g/kg P-value
Variables 0 85 170 255 340 425 SEM 0 vs HP1 Linear2 Quadratic2
Organ weight, g/100 g
Proventriculus 0.52 0.45 0.52 0.46 0.48 0.47 0.012 0.224 0.990 0.501
Gizzard 3.79 3.35 4.03 3.76 3.84 3.54 0.087 0.717 0.762 0.065
Liver 2.54 2.87 2.72 2.71 2.79 2.70 0.086 0.375 0.667 0.823
Pancreas 0.38 0.32 0.40 0.34 0.40 0.44 0.013 0.926 0.324 0.768
Organ length, m
Small intestine 0.64 0.61 0.63 0.62 0.67 0.60 0.010 0.607 0.730 0.301
Large intestine 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.13 0.14 0.14 0.002 0.248 0.824 0.765
1
A non-orthogonal contrast was used to compare differences between the control diet and diets containing HP-DDGS (0 vs HP).
2
Linear and quadratic contrasts were used to evaluate the dose-response effects of dietary HP-DDGS levels (85, 170, 255, 340 and 425 g/kg).
SEM = Standard error of the mean.

0.7 MJ/kg; Fries-Craft and Bobeck 2019). Whiting et al.
(2019) reported similar CP (73.5 vs. 74.8 and 72.3 g/kg),
higher DM (76.1 vs. 69.0 and 67.5 g/kg), and lower EE (77.7
vs. 88.3 and 88.2 g/kg) digestibilities for wheat DDGS fed to
laying hens aged 16 weeks than the current results for maize
HP-DDGS. Variations in the production processes in the
ethanol industry and seasonal differences in grains are the
main determinants of nutrient levels and availability in
coproducts used in animal feed. This likely explains the
differences in nutrient digestibility coefficients and AMEn
values reported in the literature (Swiatkiewicz and Koreleski
2008; Meloche et al. 2013, 2014). The HP-DDGS used in this
study had higher oil content (136.8 g/kg EE) than those
reported in previous studies (Jung and Batal 2010; Fries-
Craft and Bobeck 2019; Hussain et al. 2019). Typically, HP-
DDGS has low oil content (40 g/kg EE) because the germ
(181.0 g/kg EE) is removed prior to fermentation, and solu­
bles (140.0 g/kg EE) are not incorporated (Jung and Batal
2010). Oil extraction technologies reduce EE and increase the
density of other components, such as fibre and protein. Such
variation could explain the high AMEn values observed here
for HP-DDGS.
Protein retention was higher for males than females,
which was probably due to the fact that the males used feed
more efficiently. From 28 d of age, females redirect nutrients
to the development of the reproductive system for laying
(Grieser et al. 2018), resulting in a progressive decrease in
growth rate and an increase in visceral fat deposition and
nutrient retention in the ovaries and oviducts (Silva et al.
2012).
Effects of dietary HP-DDGS levels on animal
performance and carcase characteristics (Experiment 2)
The performance data suggested that HP-DDGS completely
replaced soybean meal in the isonutritive diets during rear­
ing quail (1–42 d) without affecting efficiency or carcase
attributes. In contrast, broiler chickens fed diets containing
256 B. C. R. SILVA ET AL.
150 or 200 g/kg HP-DDGS had reduced growth from 1 to 42
d of age (Fries-Craft and Bobeck 2019). In the current study,
diets containing 150 or 200 g/kg HP-DDGS had a worse
amino acid profile than those containing 50 or 100 g/kg HP-
DDGS. Commercial amino acids were added to diets to
maintain the amino acid/lysine ratio with increasing HP-
DDGS levels. It was likely that formulation of nutritionally
balanced diets based on digestible amino acids with supple­
mentary additions contributed to the lack of significant
effects of HP-DDGS level over the whole trial period (1–
42 d).
Crude fibre is considered a diluent when present at high
levels in poultry diets, and may affect bird performance.
Diets rich in non-starch polysaccharides have been shown
to reduce the effective utilisation of both energy and nutri­
ents, as birds lack the endogenous enzymes needed to digest
β-type bonds found in complex polysaccharides in cereal cell
walls (Aftab and Bedford 2018). However, moderate
amounts of different fibre sources can improve digestive
organ development (González-Alvarado et al. 2007;
Hetland and Svihus 2007) and increase hydrochloric acid,
bile acid and enzymatic secretions (Svihus 2011). These
changes may promote nutrient digestibility (Amerah,
Ravindran, and Lentle 2009; Jiménez-Moreno et al. 2009),
productive performance (González-Alvarado et al. 2010),
gastrointestinal tract health (Kalmendal et al. 2011; Perez
et al. 2011), and, ultimately, animal welfare (Krimpen et al.
2009).
The increase in BW and BWG during the starter phase
(1–21 d) in quail fed diets containing up to 296 g/kg HP-
DDGS was attributed to the beneficial increase in dietary
NDF. However, for diets containing more than 296 g/kg HP-
DDGS, dietary NDF levels might have become an anti-
nutritional factor for growing quail, which would explain
the reduction in BW and BWG compared with the control
diet.
The results of the present study demonstrated that inclu­
sion of HP-DDGS as a partial or complete substitute for
soybean meal did not affect carcase, leg or breast yield.
Shim et al. (2018) and Kim, Purswell, and Branton (2016)
similarly did not observe changes in broiler carcase yields at
21 and 42 d of age with inclusion of different levels (60 to
300 g/kg) of low-oil DDGS. Adequate nutritional balance
combined with supplementation with commercial amino
acids to ensure adequate balance, seemed to be crucial for
guaranteeing good carcase yields (Trindade Neto et al. 2009).
The pH directly influences meat quality attributes, such as
cooking loss, colour and juiciness. In general, pH24 h values
of 5.7 to 6.1 are considered normal for chicken meat (Zhang
and Barbut 2005). However, for quail meat, pH24 h ranges
from 5.9 to 6.4 (Karakaya, Saricoban, and Yilmaz 2005;
Gevrekçi et al. 2009; Genchev, Ribarski, and Zhelyazkov
2010), in agreement with the results of the present study
(6.0–6.1).
The results for relative organ weights were consistent with
those reported by other authors (Loar, Donaldson, and
Corzo 2012; Sopandi and Wardah 2019), who did not
observe any effect of feeding DDGS on relative organ weights
in broilers aged 41 d. In contrast, Barekatain et al. (2013)
reported that addition of 300 g/kg sorghum DDGS to broiler
diets led to an increase in duodenum and jejunum lengths at
21 d of age. Hence, the increase in small intestine length may
be an adaptive response to the increase in fibre intake (Mnisi
and Mlambo 2018).
Conclusions
The AMEn of HP-DDGS for meat quail was 12.4 MJ/kg. In
the starter phase, up to 296 g/kg HP-DDGS can be used as
a partial substitute for soybean meal. However, when con­
sidering the entire growth period, HP-DDGS fully replaced
soybean meal without affecting performance, carcase, leg, or
breast yields or meat quality in quail. The decision to use HP-
DDGS in meat quail diets must be based on feedstuff costs,
amino acid balance and other technical attributes (e.g., pre­
sence of mycotoxins).
Acknowledgments
The present work was carried out with the support of the Coordination
for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel - Brazil (CAPES) –
Finance code 001, for dissertations, thesis and other publications.
The Mato Grosso State Research Support Foundation (FAPEMAT),
for granting the scholarship – Notice 007/2018.
FS Bioenergia by donating the HP-DDGS.
The authors are thankful for the financial support from the Instituto
de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais do Câmpus Universitário de Sinop
(ICAA/CUS/UFMT).
The Dean of Research (PROPeq) and Dean of Graduate Studies
(PROPG) of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT) – Notice
01/2020, for financial aid to the publication.
The authors would like to thank the Academic Writing Center
(Centro de Escrita Acadêmica, CEA) of the State University of
Maringá (UEM) for assistance with English language revision and
developmental editing.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
The work was supported by the CAPES [001]; Fundação de Amparo à
Pesquisa do Estado de Mato Grosso [007/2018]; Academic Writing
Center of the State University of Maringá [0003/2022]; Dean of
Research (PROPeq) and Dean of Graduate Studies (PROPG) of the
Federal University of Mato Grosso [01/2020].
ORCID
B. C. R. Silva http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6109-5045
M. Sbardella http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9322-2072
A. Corassa http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3969-3065
L. W. de Freitas http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5796-0403
C. V. de Araújo http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9378-7348
F. L. Velasquez Moreno http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6791-8455
S. M. Marcato http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4559-4183
A. P. S. Ton http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5826-1874
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