Vol. 9, Issue 6, Part A (2024)

Author(s): Monika G Tayade, DS Chauhan, SR Sonwane, Neha S Pawar and SL Barkade

Abstract: Azolla, a rapidly growing aquatic plant rich in protein, essential amino acids and minerals, has emerged as a potential alternative protein source for poultry. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritive value of Azolla and its impact on meat sensory attributes in Japanese quail. An experiment was conducted at the Poultry Unit, College of Agriculture, Latur, using 180, day-old quails divided into four groups: T₁ (Control), T₂ (2% Azolla), T₃ (4% Azolla), and T₄ (6% Azolla) with 3 replicates of 15 birds each. Birds were reared for six weeks on diets formulated per NRC 1994. Results showed that Azolla contained 90.05% dry matter, 24.03% crude protein, 15.07% crude fibre and 1.93% calcium, making it a valuable nutrient source for poultry. Sensory evaluation of quail meat revealed no significant differences (p>0.05) in appearance, flavour, juiciness or overall acceptability between the treatments and control, although T₄ (6%) had the highest sensory scores. Thus, Azolla can be safely included in quail diets without affecting meat sensory attributes.