Quail Laying Efficiency with Vermicast and Lactic Acid Bacteria Serum (LABS) as Feed Additives

This study assessed the laying performance of quails fed with commercial feeds mixed with different levels of vermicast and lactic acid bacteria serum (LABS), and examined possible interactions between these additives. The goal was to explore more sustainable and cost-effective options for quail farming. An experimental design using a Factorial Completely Randomized Design (F-CRD) was employed, with four levels of vermicast (Factor A) and three levels of LABS (Factor B), each replicated five times. A total of 300 laying quails were randomly assigned to 60 treatment combinations. Results showed no significant effects of vermicast or LABS on the number of eggs laid or water intake. However, egg weight was significantly improved with 8% vermicast, indicating its potential to enhance egg quality. A significant interaction between vermicast and LABS was observed in feed consumption, though no other parameters showed interaction effects. The study concludes that while vermicast and LABS did not improve egg production quantity, the addition of 8% vermicast had a positive effect on egg weight. These findings suggest that vermicast could be a functional feed additive to improve egg quality sustainably, with potential value for small-scale quail producers and vermiculture users.