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Effect of strain and gender on production performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of broiler chickens
Author(s)
Date Issued
March 1, 2022
Type
Article
Abstract
The effects of strain and gender on production performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of broiler chickens were examined. There were no significant interactions between broiler strain and gender (P>0.05). Arbor Acres showed significantly higher body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), while feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly lower than Ross308 and Cobb500, especially in the fifth and sixth weeks of age. Arbor Acres also showed the highest slaughter weight (P<0.05). However, carcass composition was not significantly different between strains. There were no significant differences between the strains in muscle pH, drip loss and cooking loss. However, Cobb500 had a lower shear force value than the others (P<0.05). As for the gender-specific effect, BW and ADG of male broilers were higher than those of females from the second to the sixth week of age (P<0.01). At the second week of age, female broilers had higher FI, while male broilers had higher FI from the third to the sixth week of age (P<0.01). Male broilers had lower FCR than females from the fourth to the sixth week of age (P<0.01). Male broilers had higher slaughter weight, carcass weight and carcass composition weight (P<0.01) except for abdominal fat (P>0.05). Percent carcass composition did not differ among broiler strains except for percent tenderloin and percent abdominal fat, which were higher in females than males (P<0.01). Broiler strains had no effect on meat quality except that Cobb500 had lower shear force (P<0.05). The pH3, pH24 and yellowness color values had differed between genders, which male muscle had higher pH3 (P<0.05), pH24 (P<0.01) than female but female muscle had higher yellowness value than male (P<0.05). Interaction effect between breed and gender was found in lightness (P<0.01) and redness colors (P<0.05).
Citation
International Journal of Agricultural Technology, 18(2), 567-578, 2022