Apparent metabolizable energy and performance of Northern Bobwhite quail fed selected grain sorghum varieties

Objective: One objective of this study was to determine the nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) n ) content of tannin-free red/bronze, white/tan, and US No. 2 varieties of grain sorghum fed to Northern Bobwhite quail; the determinations were done when the quail were 6 and 11 wk of age. Our other objective was to evaluate the effects of AME n on growth performance. Materials and Methods: The AME n content of red/ bronze, white/tan, and US No. 2 grain sorghum varieties was determined using a dextrose control diet as the standard, fed to 200 mixed-sex Northern Bobwhite quail. Weekly measures of mean BW and feed consumption were used to calculate BW gain, feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Analyses were based on a 2 x 4 factorial treatment design with age (grower and finisher phases) and grain types (corn-dextrose, red/bronze, white/tan, and US No. 2) defining the treatments. Cage was the experimental unit, with data analyzed using JMP Pro version 16 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Results and Discussion: The interaction between the diet and age effect was not significant for any of the variables assessed. Mean AMEn n values of modern grain sorghum varieties for Northern Bobwhite quail at 6 wk of age were determined as 3,683 (red/bronze), 3,604 (white/ tan), and 3,625 (US No. 2) kcal/kg. At 11 wk of age, the determined AME n values were 3,502 (red/bronze), 3,486 (white/tan), and 3,522 (US No. 2) kcal/kg. Age had a significant effect across AMEn , n , BW gain, FI, and FCR. Surprisingly, AMEn n decreased with age, and sorghum varieties showed a greater FI versus the control diet. White/ tan and US No. 2 sorghum reported a greater FCR than the control. The reduction in AME n with age might reflect a complex interplay of physiological, dietary, and environmental factors in Northern Bobwhite quail, where further research for optimizing nutrition and management practices is warranted. Implications and Applications: The findings revealed a comparable AMEn n level among sorghum types and corn. This study aligns with the shared goals of wildlife conservation and agricultural sustainability, confirming tannin-free sorghum as a potential energy source to enhance the Northern Bobwhite quail habitat and breeding.