Effect of broiler slaughter weight on meat yield and quality

Abstract

Broiler meat quality depends on the interaction of several factors, including genotype, slaughter age/body weight, pre-slaughter handling, and slaughter method. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of slaughter weight on meat yield and quality of broilers. The material consisted of 42 broilers, classified into three groups: lighter (3000 g). The following meat yield parameters were measured: cold carcass weight, breast weight before and after deboning, breast skin and bone weights, thigh weight before and after deboning, thigh skin and bone weights, drumstick weight before and after deboning, and drumstick skin and bone weights. Meat pH (M. pectoralis major) and instrumental colour (breast and drumstick) were measured 24 h post-mortem. Meat quality classes (pale, soft and exudative and normal meat) were determined based on breast muscle L* value. Heavier broilers had higher (P<0.05) cold carcass weight, breast, thigh and drumstick weights both before and after deboning compared to medium and lighter broilers. In contrast, meat quality traits were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by slaughter weight. In conclusion, production of heavy broilers had a beneficial effect on meat quantity, while the effect of slaughter weight on meat quality was negligible.

Kvalitet mesa brojlera zavisi od interakcije velikog broja faktora, uključujući genotip, starost/telesnu masu, postupaka pre i posle klanja. Cilj ovog ispitivanja bio je da se ispita uticaj telesne mase na prinos i kvalitet mesa brojlera. Istraživanje je sprovedeno na 42 brojlera, grupisanih u tri grupe: brojleri telesne mase manje od 2500 g, brojleri telesne mase između 2500 i 3000 g i brojleri telesne mase veće od 3000 g. Ispitivani su sledeći pokazatelji prinosa mesa: masa hladnog trupa, masa grudi pre i posle otkoštavanja, masa kože i kostiju grudi, masa karabataka pre i posle otkoštavanja, masa kože i kostiju karabataka, masa bataka pre i posle otkoštavanja i masa kože i kostiju bataka. Od pokazatelja kvaliteta mesa određivani su pH vrednost grudne muskulature, instrumentalno (L*, a* i b*) boja grudne muskulature, karabataka i bataka 24 časa nakon klanja. Meso brojlera je razvrstavano u klase kvaliteta (bledo, meko, vodenasto – BMV i meso normalnog kvaliteta) na osnovu L* vrednosti instrumentalno određene boje u M. pectoralis major. Brojleri velike telesne mase imali su veću masu hladnog trupa, kao i veću masu grudi, karabataka i bataka u poređenju sa brojlerima iz druge dve grupe. Nije utvrđen uticaj telesne mase na pokazatelje kvaliteta mesa brojlera. Stoga se može zaključiti da se klanjem brojlera velike telesne mase dobija najveći prinos mesa što predstavlja dobru sirovinu za dalju preradu. Sa druge strane, utvrđen je zanemarljiv uticaj telesne mase na kvalitet mesa brojlera.