Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Burung puyuh (coturnix coturnix japonica) merupakan salah satu unggas petelur yang banyak dipelihara masyarakat karena memiliki produktivitas yang tinggi. namun, seringkali menimbulkan permasalahan lingkungan, terutama bau yang berasal dari gas amonia (nh3), hidrogen sulfida (h2s), dan gas lain yang dihasilkan dari kotoran. bau tidak sedap tersebut dapat mengganggu kenyamanan lingkungan sekitar, menurunkan kualitas udara, bahkan berpotensi menimbulkan gangguan kesehatan baik pada ternak maupun manusia. salah satu pendekatan yang mulai dikembangkan untuk mengurangi permasalahan udara lingkungan tersebut adalah penggunaan probiotik. penelitian dilaksanakan di laboratorium universitas syiah kuala selama 60 hari menggunakan 128 ekor burung puyuh petelur betina masa dara umur 4 minggu. pakan komersil disediakan secara ad libitum bersama air minum perlakuan. penelitian ini menggunakan 4 perlakuan dan 4 ulangan (8 ekor puyuh per unit) dan dianalisis secara deskriptif kuantitatif. perlakuan terdiri atas p0- (kontrol negatif), p0+ (air minum + 200 mg/l antibiotik tetra-chlor), p1 (air minum + 5% kefir optima), dan p2 (air minum + 5% kefir whey). sampel diambil dari titik 4 ulangan perlakuan kemudian dikompositkan dan dihomogenkan dengan pegenceran 1:10 dengan aquades hingga diperoleh satu sampel komposit perlakuan. hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa seluruh perlakuan mampu menurunkan jumlah escherichia coli dibandingkan kondisi awal, dengan penurunan terbesar diperoleh pada perlakuan kefir whey. perlakuan kefir juga mampu menurunkan kadar amonia, sedangkan kadar amonia terendah diperoleh pada perlakuan antibiotik. nilai ph manure meningkat pada seluruh perlakuan selama masa pemeliharaan, namun masih berada dalam kisaran baku mutu yang ditetapkan. penurunan populasi e.coli pada perlakuan kefir diduga dipengaruhi oleh aktivitas bakteri asam laktat, khamir, asam organik, alkohol, dan senyawa antimikroba hasil fermentasi yang mampu menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri patogen. sementara itu, rendahnya kadar amonia pada perlakuan antibiotik diduga berkaitan dengan kemampuan antibiotik menekan bakteri ureolitik yang berperan dalam pembentukan amonia. secara keseluruhan, pemberian kefir optima dan kefir whey berpotensi meningkatkan kualitas manure burung puyuh melalui penurunan kadar amonia dan populasi escherichia coli. hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa kefir dapat dipertimbangkan sebagai probiotik alami yang berpotensi menggantikan penggunaan antibiotik dalam pemeliharaan burung puyuh, sekaligus mendukung pengelolaan lingkungan kandang yang lebih baik. kata kunci: amonia, escherichia coli, kefir, manure burung puyuh, probiotik.

The Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) is one of the most widely raised laying poultry species due to its high productivity. However, quail farming often causes environmental problems, particularly unpleasant odors originating from ammonia (NH₃), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and other gases produced from manure decomposition. These odors can reduce environmental comfort, deteriorate air quality, and potentially pose health risks to both animals and humans. One approach that has recently been developed to minimize these environmental problems is the use of probiotics. This study was conducted at the Laboratory of Syiah Kuala University for 60 days using 128 four-week-old female Japanese quails during the grower phase. Commercial feed was provided ad libitum, while the birds received different drinking water treatments. The experiment consisted of four treatments with four replicates (eight quails per experimental unit) and the data were analyzed descriptively using a quantitative approach. The treatments included P0− (negative control), P0+ (drinking water supplemented with 200 mg/L Tetra-chlor antibiotic), P1 (drinking water supplemented with 5% kefir optima), and P2 (drinking water supplemented with 5% kefir whey). Manure samples were collected from the four replicates of each treatment, composited into a single sample for each treatment, and homogenized with distilled water at a 1:10 dilution ratio prior to laboratory analysis. The results showed that all treatments reduced the population of Escherichia coli compared with the initial observation, with the greatest reduction observed in the kefir whey treatment. Kefir supplementation also reduced ammonia concentration, whereas the lowest ammonia concentration was observed in the antibiotic treatment. Manure pH increased in all treatments throughout the experimental period but remained within the acceptable range. The reduction in E. coli population in the kefir treatments was presumably associated with the activity of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, organic acids, alcohol, and antimicrobial compounds produced during fermentation, which inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Meanwhile, the low ammonia concentration in the antibiotic treatment was likely related to its ability to suppress ureolytic bacteria involved in ammonia formation. Overall, supplementation with kefir optima and kefir whey showed potential to improve the quality of Japanese quail manure by reducing ammonia concentration and the population of Escherichia coli. These findings suggest that kefir may serve as a natural probiotic alternative to antibiotics in Japanese quail production while supporting more environmentally sustainable manure and farm management. Keywords: Japanese quail, kefir, ammonia, Escherichia coli, manure, probiotic.