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Background <p>Calcium (Ca) digestibility is a key factor influencing growth performance and skeletal development in poultry. Barley and soybean meal (SBM) are commonly used feed ingredients, yet their true ileal Ca digestibility in quail is not well established. This study aimed to estimate the true ileal digestibility coefficient (TIDC) of Ca in barley and SBM in quail chicks using the regression method.</p> Materials and methods <p>A total of 600 Japanese quail chicks were assigned to eight experimental diets containing graded inclusion levels of barley or SBM and fed for a 5-day assay. Growth performance, feed intake (FI), weight gain (G), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded. Calcium output (CaO), ileal Ca digestibility, and bone traits (tibia/thigh dimensions and breaking strength) were evaluated. Regression analysis was applied to determine TIDC for Ca in each ingredient.</p> Results <p>Regression analysis revealed a substantially lower TIDC of Ca for barley (0.2457; R² = 0.90) compared with SBM (0.6567; R² = 0.96). Barley-fed birds showed higher CaO (4.11–5.16&#xa0;g/kg DM intake) and poorer bone quality, including reduced tibia and thigh size and breaking strength. Conversely, SBM-fed birds exhibited lower CaO (0.99–1.33&#xa0;g/kg DM intake) and improved bone characteristics (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001). Correlation analysis supported these trends, showing strong associations among mineral retention and skeletal integrity.</p> Conclusion <p>Regression analysis effectively estimated Ca digestibility in quail chicks. Barley demonstrated inferior Ca utilization and poorer bone outcomes, whereas SBM provided superior digestible Ca and markedly enhanced performance and skeletal development. The TIDC of Ca was estimated as 0.2457 for barley and 0.6567 for soybean meal in growing Japanese quail chicks.</p>

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True ileal calcium digestibility of barley and soybean meal in quail chicks using the regression method

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月18日

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  • Sadegh Golzarnia,
  • Mahmoud Ghazaghi,
  • Mohammad Rokouei,
  • Kamal Shojaeian,
  • Farzad Bagherzadeh-Kasmani,
  • Mehran Mehri

摘要

Background

Calcium (Ca) digestibility is a key factor influencing growth performance and skeletal development in poultry. Barley and soybean meal (SBM) are commonly used feed ingredients, yet their true ileal Ca digestibility in quail is not well established. This study aimed to estimate the true ileal digestibility coefficient (TIDC) of Ca in barley and SBM in quail chicks using the regression method.

Materials and methods

A total of 600 Japanese quail chicks were assigned to eight experimental diets containing graded inclusion levels of barley or SBM and fed for a 5-day assay. Growth performance, feed intake (FI), weight gain (G), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded. Calcium output (CaO), ileal Ca digestibility, and bone traits (tibia/thigh dimensions and breaking strength) were evaluated. Regression analysis was applied to determine TIDC for Ca in each ingredient.

Results

Regression analysis revealed a substantially lower TIDC of Ca for barley (0.2457; R² = 0.90) compared with SBM (0.6567; R² = 0.96). Barley-fed birds showed higher CaO (4.11–5.16 g/kg DM intake) and poorer bone quality, including reduced tibia and thigh size and breaking strength. Conversely, SBM-fed birds exhibited lower CaO (0.99–1.33 g/kg DM intake) and improved bone characteristics (P < 0.001). Correlation analysis supported these trends, showing strong associations among mineral retention and skeletal integrity.

Conclusion

Regression analysis effectively estimated Ca digestibility in quail chicks. Barley demonstrated inferior Ca utilization and poorer bone outcomes, whereas SBM provided superior digestible Ca and markedly enhanced performance and skeletal development. The TIDC of Ca was estimated as 0.2457 for barley and 0.6567 for soybean meal in growing Japanese quail chicks.