The current research was conducted to study the effect of diets supplemented with chelated oligo-elements (Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), and Fe (Iron)) on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality in Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica). A total of 160 Japanese quails were randomly segregated into 4 equal groups: Manganese group “Mn” (Commercial feed + 0.4 g/kg Mn Availa®), Zinc group “Zn” (Commercial feed + 0.3 g/kg Zn Availa®), Iron group “Fe” (Commercial feed + 0.3 g/kg Fe Availa®) and Control group “Control” (Commercial feed only). Birds were raised in collective cages for 52 days of age, where they have been supplemented with ad libitum feed and water. In order to assess the live performance and meat quality, the following traits were measured: Live body weight (LBW), feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass weight and drip loss (%), carcass yield (%), breast and thigh’s weight and yield (%), pH, meat color (L* a* b*), water holding capacity, thawing and cooking losses, and tenderness. Our results had shown that despite the live body weight of any of the groups not being significantly affected (P>0.05) by the diets, but at the 35th day and afterwards, the Fe group showed the highest live body weight among the groups. In addition, the feed conversion ratio at 29 days showed that group Fe had a significant difference with respect to the control group (3.1±0.06 in comparison with 0.35±0.05: P<0.05). The carcass weight of the Fe group (109.9±16.78g) had shown highly significant difference with all of the other groups (90.68±21.59g, 83.33±18.95g, and 90.58±24.92g for Mn, Zn, and control group respectively; P<0.05). The breast weight of the Fe group (27.3±7g) had also shown highly significant difference with respect to the other groups (20.3±5.48g, 18.6±4.67g, and 21.9±4.62g, for Mn, Zn, and control respectively; P<0.05) whereas for the thigh weight, the Fe group (26.7±4.15g) presented a significant difference only with groups Mn and Zn (22.1±5.16g, and 19.2±4.15g for Mn and Zn respectively; P<0.05). As for the meat color, the Lightness (L*) was not affected by the diets (P>0.05), whereas for the redness (a* value), the Mn group had shown a higher (P<0.05) value than all the other groups at both 24 and 48 hours post mortem. As for the yellowness (b*-value), Mn group had a significantly (P<0.05) higher b* value than Fe at 48 hours p.m. only, with no regards to the control or the Zn groups. Regarding the data presented, the Fe group had shown superiority over the majority of factors; including growth performance and carcass traits.
