Effect of Cage and Floor Housing Systems on Muscle Fiber Characteristics, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Slow-Growing Meat-Type Chickens

Abstract

This study compared floor (FS) with cage systems (CS) for slow-growing meat-type chickens in terms of muscle fiber characteristics, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. Following the design of a factorial arrangement of 2 housing systems × 2 genders, 180 male and 180 female Beijing You chickens of 8 weeks old were allocated to FS and CS. At the end of 17 weeks, five males and five females from each replicate were selected for measurement. No difference was observed in body, carcass, or eviscerated weight (p > 0.05). FS birds showed higher muscle yield and lower abdominal fat composition (p < 0.05). Inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP) content was not affected by housing system or gender (p > 0.05). On the contrary, intramuscular fat (IMF) content was affected by both in a way that CS birds and females had higher IMF content (p < 0.05). FS birds had a higher percentage of white muscle fibers (p < 0.05). In conclusion, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and muscle fiber type of slowing-growing broilers are influenced: rearing on the floor may improve muscle development and reduce fat deposition without impairing marketing weight and rearing in cages may improve IMF content.