Effects of Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) Powder Inclusion into Quail Diets on Animal Performance, Carcass Traits, Intestinal Microflora and Serum Parameters

This study was carried out to determine the effects of Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) powder inclusion into quail diets on live weight, live weight change, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, carcass traits, intestinal microflora and serum biochemical parameters of the animals. A total of 200 Japanese quail (Coturnix cotur-nix Japonica) were used in present experiments. Quail were separated into 4 groups (one control and three treatment). Control group was fed with a basic ration and treatments groups were fed with 0.5, 1 and 2% Reishi mushroom -sup-plemented diets. Differences in live weight changes, feed consumptions, feed conversion ratios, overall carcass param-eters and blood serum total protein, total cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride levels of the treatment groups were not found to be significant (P>0.05). Also, there were not any significant differences in intestinal bacteria populations of the treatment groups (P> 0.05). The results of the current study indicated that using Reishi mushroom in quail diet had not any negative effect on growth performance or other evaluated parameters. Also, further research is recommended to be conducted with greater ratios of Reishi mushroom in quail diets or with different poultry species.