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Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, Vol. 82 No. 3, 2017.

Original scientific paper

Effect of Genotype, Gender, and Feed Restriction on Slaughter Results and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens

Francesco Gratta orcid id orcid.org/0000-0003-0724-6428 ; Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animal and Environment, University of Padova, Agripolis, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
Marco Birolo ; Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animal and Environment, University of Padova, Agripolis, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
Gerolamo Xiccato ; Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animal and Environment, University of Padova, Agripolis, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
Angela Trocino orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-9045-6156 ; Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Agripolis, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy

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Abstract

Slaughter results and meat quality were evaluated in 768 broilers according to genotype (standard breast yield vs. high breast yield), gender, and feeding systems (ad libitum vs. feed restriction from 13 to 21 d of age). Standard-yield chickens had higher carcass weights (2358 g vs. 2319 g; P < 0.001) and hind legs proportion (31.1% vs. 30.6%; P < 0.01), and lower dressing out percentage (73.6% vs. 74.0%; P < 0.01) compared to high-yield birds, besides lower meat L* index (45.3 vs. 46.2; P < 0.05), higher final pH (5.89 vs. 5.85; P < 0.05) and thawing losses (10.5% vs. 9.43%; P < 0.05). Males showed higher carcass weight (+24%), dressing percentage (+0.7%), and hind leg yield (+4%) (P < 0.001) than females. Restricted birds had lower carcass weight (-2%; P < 0.001) and dressing percentage (‑0.3%) (P < 0.05) than those always fed ad libitum. As what concerns meat quality, gender and feeding system affected only meat final pH, lower in ad libitum group than in restricted one and in females than males. In conclusions, slaughter results and carcass traits changed especially with genotype and gender, coherently with slaughter weight whereas meat quality was mostly affected by genotype.

Keywords

broiler chickens; meat quality; gender; genotype; feeding system

Hrčak ID:

191848

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/191848

Publication date:

18.12.2017.

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