Gastrointestinal parasites of Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica): A comparative study between an improved farm and a traditional farm

This study was carried out in 2025 on two different Japanese quail farms in the south of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). Its aim was to improve animal health by identifying gastrointestinal parasites for more effective control. To this end, 720 digestive tracts were collected, of which 360 came from an improved farm at Nangui Abrogoua University (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire) and 360 from a traditional farm in Akandjé village (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire). The digestive tracts were collected during the slaughter period at 35 days of age for human consumption. The crop, gizzard, small intestine and caecum were isolated, eviscerated, and their contents transferred into boxes. These were numbered according to the sample and collection site, then transported to the Laboratory of Animal Biology and Cytology of Nangui Abrogoua University. At the laboratory, the contents were pooled into homogeneous batches of 15 samples per organ. The contents underwent helminthological examination, then 3 g of each batch were weighed, diluted and analysed using the flotation and McMaster techniques to detect parasite eggs. Eggs of Capillaria sp. and coccidia, as well as adult ascarids, were observed. Akandjé showed a slightly higher overall prevalence than Nangui Abrogoua (29.2% versus 25%), along with greater parasitic diversity (Ascaridia sp. and Capillaria sp. in addition to Eimeria sp.).