In this study, the effects of supplementation of coven extract with enriched saponin content (SECE), to the diet on performance, carcass traits, blood parameters and mortality rate of Japanese quails exposed to cold stress were investigated. A total of 90 fifteen-day-old quails were divided into 3 treatment groups consisting of 10 birds of 3 replicates. All groups were balanced according to initial live weight. Gender ratio of the groups was adjusted to be 10 male and 20 female. Birds were kept in wire cages in temperature-controlled room during the study. Experimental groups were designated as follows: C (Control group), the group fed on corn-soybean meal-based diet; SECE-50 and SECE-100, the group fed the basal diet supplemented with 50 and 100 ppm of SECE. The study was carried out during 15-43 days. At the end of the treatment, there were no significant difference among the treatment groups in terms of performance, carcass traits, mortality rates, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (P>0.05). In group SECE-50, serum glucose (P<0.01), uric acid (P<0.01), triglycerides (P<0.05) and total cholesterol (P<0.05) levels were found lower while serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) and cholesterol levels (P<0.01) were higher.

In conclusion; the doses of SECE used in this study didn't positively or negatively influence the performance, carcass traits and mortality rates. However, dose of SECE-50 affected some blood parameters positively.