Meat quality characteristics of chickens as influenced by housing system, sex, and genetic line interactions
2018
Xiaoling Zhao | Wenshi Ren | Paul B. Siegel | Juan Li | Yan Wang | Huadong Yin | Yao Zhang | Shuang Lai | Gang Shu | Qing Zhu
This study evaluated the effects of housing system (cage versus pen), sex and line cross (EMY1 and EMY2) on meat quality in meat-type chickens. Chickens (n = 640) from each line cross (males: females = 1:1) were housed in batteries from d 1 to 28. Then, half of them were transferred to indoor floor pens, and the others were raised in single cages. Meat quality traits of breast fillets were measured at 91 d of age. Percent lipid and histidine were higher, whereas % total protein and myofibre density (MDS) were lower in caged than penned chickens. Cross EMY1 had higher MDS, but lower lipid % and myofibre diameters (MDM) than EMY2 (p < .05). Males had redder and brighter muscles and higher MDM and contents of glycine and proline than the females (p < .05). Penned females had smaller MDM and higher MDS than their caged counterparts (p < .05). Generally, housing systems alone, or interacting with sex and genetic line, affected yellowness, myofibre characteristics, % protein, % lipid, myofibre density, and % His of breast muscle.
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