Supplementation of Natural Antioxidants to Reduced Crude Protein Diets for Japanese Quails Exposed to Heat Stress

ABSTRACT The study aimed at comparing the effects of the supplementation of natural antioxidant sources to a reduced crude protein diet on the performance, carcass traits, blood parameters, liver antioxidant enzyme activities and meat lipid peroxidation of Japanese quails exposed to heat stress. A total of 640 14-day-old male Japanese quails were exposed to two different temperature treatments (TT): thermoneutral (TN) or heat stress (HS)and were fed five different dietary treatments (DTs). A normal-protein diet (SCP) was formulated according to the National Research Council (24% CP). The reduc...