Meat Quality and Carcass Characteristics Assessments in Broiler Chickens Subjected to Different Pre-Slaughter Feed Withdrawal Times

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different pre-slaughter feed withdrawal on broiler chickens meat yield and quality. Eighteen 42-d-old broilers were submitted to either 9 hours pre-slaughter feed withdrawal, 12 hours pre-slaughter feed withdrawal or 15 hours pre-slaughter feed withdrawal. At the end of each fasting times, the birds were slaughtered following the halal slaughter procedure to assess carcass and meat quality characteristics. The results indicated no differences (P>0.05) in the physicochemical properties of meat among different pre-slaughter fasting times. However, broiler fasted 15 hours possessed the lowest (P<0.05) carcass yields than others. It can deduce that 9h pre-slaughter feed fasting duration had better efficiency on carcass and quality of meat traits but pre-slaughter feed withdrawal duration can last up to 12 hours. Therefore, more investigations are needed to study 9 or 12 hours pre-slaughter feed fasting times on other factors such as carcass contamination and lipid oxidation.