**Background:** The increasing demand for olive oil generates large quantities of olive pomace (OP), a waste by-product rich in residual oil and bioactive compounds such as oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Disposal of OP contributes to environmental pollution, and its incorporation into animal feeds offers a sustainable recycling strategy. Jumbo quail are fast-maturing birds with high meat quality and reproductive efficiency, but their simple digestive systems limit utilization of high-fiber feeds. While OP has been studied in broiler chickens with conflicting results, no studies had established the maximum tolerance level of OP in Jumbo quail diets. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incremental dietary OP levels on growth performance, serum biochemistry, visceral organ development, carcass traits, and meat quality in Jumbo quail.
**Methods:** A total of 350 4-day-old Jumbo quail chicks were randomly allocated to 35 pens (10 birds/pen, 7 replicates/treatment) in a completely randomized design. Five isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated: a control (OP0) and diets containing 100 (OP10), 150 (OP15), 200 (OP20), and 250 g/kg (OP25) OP. The OP contained 46.0 g/kg crude protein, 296.0 g/kg fat, 240.0 g/kg crude fiber, and 3751 kcal/kg metabolizable energy. Birds were reared from 7 to 42 days of age under natural lighting (12 h day length) with ad libitum feed and water. Growth performance was measured weekly. On day 42, blood was collected for serum biochemistry (ALT, albumin, amylase, calcium, cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, SDMA, total bilirubin, total protein, urea). Carcass traits (HCW, CCW, carcass yield, drumstick, thigh, wing, breast weights), visceral organ weights and lengths, and meat quality (pH at 1 h and 24 h, color coordinates L*, a*, b*, chroma, hue angle, water holding capacity, cooking loss) were measured. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and polynomial contrasts (linear and quadratic) with significance at p < 0.05.
**Key Results:** A significant week × diet interaction was found for average weekly feed intake (p = 0.003). Feed intake linearly decreased in week 3 (p = 0.021) and week 4 (p = 0.002) with increasing OP. Overall body weight gain linearly decreased (p = 0.036), with quail on OP20 and OP25 showing the lowest weight gain (57.63 g and 53.45 g, respectively) compared to OP0 (88.83 g) and OP10 (84.99 g). No significant differences were observed in overall gain-to-feed ratio (p = 0.350). All serum biochemical parameters showed no significant linear or quadratic effects (p > 0.05) and remained within normal ranges for healthy quail. Carcass yield linearly decreased (p = 0.040), as did HCW (p = 0.002), CCW (p = 0.0003), drumstick (p = 0.007), thigh (p = 0.008), wing (p = 0.001), and breast weights (p = 0.042). No significant effects were observed on visceral organ weights or lengths. Meat quality showed linear increases in 1-h yellowness (b*₁, p = 0.009) and 1-h hue angle (p = 0.010), and linear decreases in 24-h hue angle (p = 0.006) and 24-h redness (a*₂₄, p = 0.036). No dietary effects were found on meat pH, water holding capacity, or cooking loss.
**Clinical Implications:** Dietary OP can be included up to 150 g/kg in Jumbo quail diets without adversely affecting growth performance, serum biochemistry, or meat quality. Inclusion at 200–250 g/kg significantly reduces feed intake, weight gain, and carcass yields, likely due to high fiber content (240 g/kg crude fiber in OP). The lack of adverse effects on serum biochemistry and meat quality at all levels suggests OP does not induce hepatotoxicity or impair meat organoleptic properties. For higher inclusion levels, fiber-degrading strategies (e.g., exogenous fibrolytic enzymes or polyethylene glycol) are recommended. These findings support the sustainable use of OP as a partial feed ingredient in quail production, reducing environmental waste while maintaining acceptable performance up to 150 g/kg.