Abstract
The current practices of the poultry industry have raised concerns among consumers. Among these is the culling of day-old male chicks of laying hybrids; a suitable alternative for this could be the use of dual-purpose breeds where both sexes are used. Another practice that causes concern is the import of large quantities of soybeans for feedstuff production. Substitutes for these soybean-based products are regional protein crops, such as faba beans (Vicia faba L.; FBs). The objective of this study was to test the suitability of FB as a locally produced soybean meal replacement for two local dual-purpose chicken breeds and one high-performing layer line. The breast and leg meat of male Bresse Gauloise (BG), Vorwerkhuhn (VH), and White Rock (WR) animals was evaluated for different meat quality parameters: pH, color, water holding capacity, and tenderness. Sensory properties of the samples were evaluated by a trained panel with a conventional descriptive analysis. Results show different effects of FB diets on meat quality parameters in the different breeds. The attributes mostly affected by the diet are related to aroma, flavor, and texture, particularly in VH and WR. Overall, faba beans appear to be an acceptable dietary protein source for rearing these breeds for meat production.
Highlights
Nowadays, commercial poultry breeding is characterized by specialized fattening and laying lines, i.e., meat-type genotypes are not used for egg production and laying genotypes are managed for efficient egg production where carcasses of culled hens are considered a by-product.Contrary to meat-type genotypes, where both sexes are used, in laying hybrids, only hens are used for egg production
No significant effects were observed in VH samples. pH values in both Bresse Gauloise (BG) and White Rock (WR) with VC+ diets showed significant differences vs
BG chicken breast samples produced with a VC- diet had a more fibrous appearance than samples with a VC+ diet
Summary
Commercial poultry breeding is characterized by specialized fattening (meat-type) and laying lines (egg-type), i.e., meat-type genotypes are not used for egg production and laying genotypes are managed for efficient egg production where carcasses of culled hens are considered a by-product.Contrary to meat-type genotypes, where both sexes are used, in laying hybrids, only hens are used for egg production. Since male offspring of layers do not produce enough meat, they are not used for fattening and are culled on their first day of life, in both organic and conventional farming. This practice has raised ethical concerns in some European Union (EU) countries, including Germany [1,2], leading to research into alternatives. Dual-purpose hens lay fewer eggs and the males produce less meat even when fattened over a longer period of time These inefficiencies mean an increase in production costs associated with feed and housing, resulting in higher product prices [3]. Dual-purpose breeds could produce an improved meat quality and taste, in addition to meeting consumer animal welfare expectations; consumers might be willing to pay a higher price for these products [1,4,5]
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