Effect of Flock Age, Air Pressure and Litter Types on Carcass Traits and Meat Quality of Broiler Chicks

Abstract

The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of flock age (younger breeder flock 33 WKS and older breeder flock 43 WKS), air pressure during incubation period (low, 100719 (LAP) and high, 101000 (HAP) Pascal) and the type of litter on carcass characteristics and meat quality of broiler chicks. A total number of 600 one day old chicks (Ross 308) hatched from eggs of two flocks in different age (each of 300 chicks)were randomly chosen divided into two sub experimental groups according the air pressure of incubation conditions (each of 150 chicks), each sub-group divided into three sub-sub experimental groups were raised on floor house provided with litters of wood shaving, plastic and sand, respectively. This study was design as 2×2×3 factorial arrangement experiment. The results obtained showed that, broiler chicks produced from older breeder flock recorded the higher significant (p>0.05) absolute and relative weights of eviscerated carcass, giblets, total edible parts, protein, ash percentages, odor, color, elasticity and overall score of meat quality compared with younger ones. However broiler chicks produced from eggs incubated at HAP shoed the higher absolute and relative weights of eviscerated carcass, giblets, total edible parts, percentages of protein, fat pH, TVN, TPA and odor of meat. Broilers chicks raised on plastic (PL) litter type showed the higher values of absolute and relative weights of eviscerated carcass total edible parts, percentages of protein and ash, meat sensory evaluation and recorded the lowest microbial count of APC bacteria in meat and cecal . According to the interaction between the studied factors, it could be concluded that the broiler chicks hatched from eggs of the flock at age of 43 WK, incubated at HAP and raised on plastic litter type (43 WKS × HAP ×PL) seemed to be adequate to achieve the favorable results.