International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 9, Issue 11, November 2019 525 ISSN 2250-3153 http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.9.11.2019.p9571 www.ijsrp.org Effects of Fermented Kangkong (Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.) Juice Supplementation On the Growth Performance of Japanese Quails Keiven Mark B. Ampode College of Agriculture Sultan Kudarat State University – Lutayan Campus, Blingkong, Lutayan Sultan Kudarat DOI: 10.29322/IJSRP.9.11.2019.p9571 http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.9.11.2019.p9571 Abstract: Quail raising is said to be the business venture of those with limited capital but who look for high returns in a short period. A feeding trial to assess the growth performance and economic benefits of Japanese quails supplemented with varying levels of fermented kangkong juice through the drinking water was conducted using 120 female Japanese quails at the Department of Animal Science-College of Agriculture and Food Science, Visayas State University, Visca, Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines from January to February 2016. The Japanese quails were randomly assigned to four treatments and replicated three times with ten birds per replication laid out in a Completely Randomized Design set-up. Data gathered were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 17.0 software. Supplementation of fermented kangkong juice (FKJ) into the drinking water of Japanese quails did not significantly affect the growth performance in terms of the results on Bi- monthly weight gain, average daily gain, bi-monthly voluntary feed intake, and cumulative feed conversion ratio. However, the overall result on return above feed and chick cost (RAFCC) disclosed a bright prospect of FKJ supplementation for raising Japanese quails. Index Terms: Japanese quails, fermented kangkong juice, supplementation, growth performance I. INTRODUCTION The Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica, Temminck and Schlegel, 1849) locally known as “pugo” is a small and tailless bird that belongs to the order Galliformes, family Phasianidae and subfamily Phasianinae (Karaalp, 2009), and found in many parts of Asia. The rapid multiplication capability of these birds makes their meat and eggs readily available for human consumption. The quail meat is lean, and eggs and meat are low in cholesterol (Tarhyel et. al., 2012). Furthermore, quail meat and eggs are known to be rich in unsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, vitamins, and essential amino acids. Quail meat is usually boiled or roast with less fats and calories and is a perfect food for health-conscious consumers. Both quail meat and eggs can be included in the diets of children, pregnant mothers, geriatric and convalescent patients. Also, there is no known serious quail disease except for some respiratory problems which do not spread quickly and quails are more resistant and less susceptible to bacterial diseases. Capitan (2003) cited that some quail raisers claimed an ROI of P41 to P66 profit for every P100 invested in the business and that quail enterprise may have a payback period of 6 months. One of the major problems in quail raising is the high price of feeds that constitute 70-80% of the total operational cost and specific rations for quails are not commonly available in the market (Bitancor, 2008). Thus, quail raisers tend to use broiler feeds despite much higher protein requirement of quails compared with chicken (BAR, 2012). Moreover, the cost of feeds, vitamin-mineral supplements, drugs and biologics cannot be offset because most quail raisers operate on a small-scale basis (Capitan, 2003). Although some reports mentioned that quails are more immune and less prone to bacterial diseases as compared to chicken, still there is a need to boost their immune system. The use of fermented plant juice in the drinking water has been reported to increase microbial activities in gastrointestinal tracts, better absorption of nutrients and hasten manure decomposition when sprayed to animal beddings. In the Philippines, Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.) which is abundantly growing in stagnant streams, fresh water swamps, and pools have been cited as a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. It is also commonly reported to contain carotenoids, β-sitosterol and glycosides (Chitrajit and Pinak, 2015), hypolipidemic, antimicrobial, purgative, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiepileptic, CNS depressant, diuretic, and antidiabetic properties. Anadon et al., (2005) reported that fermented plant juice with the aide of live microorganisms has a role in promoting growth rates by improving feed efficiency and speed up manure decomposition when sprayed to poultry and livestock beddings. Hence, this study investigates the potential of fermented kangkong juice supplementation in the drinking water of quails. II. METHODOLOGY 2.1 Preparation of Experimental Cages One week before the arrival of chicks, all facilities were cleaned and disinfected to prevent the possible occurrence of diseases. The brooder pen was made of galvanized iron sheets with a dimension of 2 ft x 4.5 ft x 1.0 ft. This was cleaned and disinfected with a commercially available disinfectant before putting the experimental quails for brooding. After the brooding stage, the quails were transferred to grower-layer cages with recommended standard floor space requirement of 16 inches per bird (Capitan, 2003). The grower- layer cages were made of steel and constructed with slightly inclined flooring so that clean eggs will roll out of the pen for easy collection. Shallow feeders and waterers measuring 91.44