Analysis of Certain Meat Characteristics of Eight-Week Old Broiler Chickens Representing Two Commercial Lines and Four Mating Types Derived from Them

Abstract

Three hundred and forty-two 8-week old broiler chickens, representing two commercial strains of chickens and four mating types derived from them, were analyzed for eviscerated weight, cooking losses, Allo-Kramer shear values, color, and total moisture content. Estimates of the parameters studied were obtained on raw and cooked samples of the breast and thigh from each bird. Mean values obtained for the traits studied agreed well with previous reports in the literature. In several instances, however, unduly high coefficients of variation were obtained which suggested that environmental biases of an unknown nature had been encountered.Cooking resulted in a highly significant (P < 0.01) increase in mean shear value of the breast meat as compared to the raw state. Cooking also resulted in a highly significant (P < 0.01) decrease in mean shear value of thigh meat. Cooking resulted in an increase in lighter color (Gardiner L values), also an increase in yellow color (Gardiner B values), and a decrease in red color (Gardiner A values) of breast and thigh meat. Factors contributing to lightening of meat appeared to be acting independently of factors controlling redness and yellowness.Breast moisture averaged lower than thigh moisture in the raw state (72.607 versus 73.697), but breast moisture exceeded that of thigh moisture in the cooked state (67.557 versus 66.457).