The effects of dietary protein level on the reproductive performance of bobwhite hens

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the protein requirement of adult bobwhite quail. Flight-type quail were used in one experiment and meat-type quail in the other. Corn and soybean meal diets containing 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24% protein were fed. Increasing the protein level of the diet from 12 to 15% significantly increased egg production with the flight-type bird. However, only a nonsignificant increase in egg production was obtained with the meat-type birds when the protein level was increased to 15%. Higher levels of protein did not result in further increases in egg production in either strain. Increasing the protein from 12 to 18% (flight) or 21% (meat) resulted in increased egg weight. Egg mass of flight-type hens receiving 18 and 21% protein was significantly greater than egg mass from hens receiving 12 and 15% protein. Hatch of fertile eggs, hatch of total eggs, chick weight, or weight of adult birds were not affected by protein level. Feeding the 12% protein diet resulted in significantly reduced fertility in the flight-type birds but not in the meat-type birds.