Wood Vinegar From Eucalyptus As An Additive in Broiler Quail Feed

Author(s): Géssica Vitalino Diógenes, Elisanie Neiva Magalhães Teixeira, Alexandre Santos Pimenta, Janete Gouveia Souza, José Aparecido Moreira, Andreza Lourenço Marinho, Al

Wood vinegar (WV), a byproduct from wood pyrolysis, is a natural, safe, nontoxic, cheap and versatile product suitable for use as additive on animal diets, as growth promoters and preventive antibiotic. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of WV as additive to quail feed. Increasing levels of eucalyptus WV were added to quail feed and performance parameters and economic viability were assessed. Chemical composition of WV was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and main compounds were identified. An experiment was conducted with 400 quails (Coturnix coturnix) with age of 1 to 42 days, according to a 5 x 2 factorial design: 5 levels of WV addition and 2 types of bedding (fresh and recycled), with 10 treatments and 4 replicates. Weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were determined. Furfural and phenolic compounds were the main components identified in the WV. The statistical analysis showed that for WV addition of 2.5% and quails housed with recycled bedding, weight gain increased in 10.6%, feed conversion ratio decreased in 19.4% and production efficiency factor increased in 23.8%. Regardless of using fresh or recycled bedding, WV addition of 2.5% is recommended during the breeding cycle of quails.