Re-evaluating biotin requirements in laying quail: Effects on performance, egg quality, and antioxidant status

Objective. The current research investigated the effects of dietary biotin supplementation on performance, egg quality, and yolk antioxidant capacity in laying quails. Material and methods. A total of 150 female quails (11 weeks old) were assigned to five dietary groups, receiving 0, 0.075, 0.150, 0.300, or 0.450 mg/kg of biotin over 70 days. Results. Biotin supplementation linearly decreased body weight while increasing egg production in quails (p<0.01). Eggshell-breaking resistance improved quadratically, peaking at 0.300 mg/kg (p<0.01). Yolk index declined quadratically, whereas yolk colour parameters (L* and a*) and antioxidant status (DPPH and MDA in yolk) responded linearly to biotin levels (p<0.01). Conclusions. The findings suggest that biotin requirements for laying quails exceed current recommendations, with an optimal range of 0.300–0.450 mg/kg for both performance and antioxidant properties.