Effects of Basil (Ocimum basilicum odoratum) Plant Extract Application on Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Eggs

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of spraying basil (Ocimum basilicum odoratum) plant extract on the incubation performance, chick quality, and chick behaviors of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) eggs. A total of 160 Japanese quail eggs were randomly divided equally into four groups. The groups consisted of a negative control group with no treatment (NK), a positive control group sprayed with distilled water (PK), distilled water + 1% extract (F1), and distilled water + 5% extract (F5). At the end of the incubation period, the F5 group showed a significant increase in hatching success (HS), chick hatching weights (CHW), and chick quality (CQ), while improvements were observed in embryo mortality, malformation (MF), and malposition (MP) rates. Additionally, results from behavioral tests indicated that the application of a low dose of plant extract (F1 group) reduced fear and stress in chicks, whereas the high dose application (F5 group) positively contributed to feeding behaviors, such as food searching and reaching for feed, compared to the other groups.