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Research Article

Carcass composition, physico-chemical and sensory properties of meat of cockerels and broiler breeder hens after reproductive cycle

Milena Biegniewska, Dariusz Kokoszyński, Zenon Bernacki, Mohamed Saleh

Department of Animal Science, Poultry Breeding Unit, UTP University of Science and Technology in Bydgoszcz, 28 Mazowiecka, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland

Department of Poultry and Animal Production, Sohag University, Street Nasser City, 82524 Sohag, Egypt

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 16(1), 2017, 31‒38
2. DOI: 10.21005/asp.2017.16.1.05

Abstract. The purpose of this research was the comparison of 64-week-old cockerels and the Ross 308 broiler breeder hens in terms of their weight and the carcass composition, the physiochemical and sensory properties of the breast and leg muscles. Twenty males and twenty females of broiler breeder hens after the reproductive cycle were included in the research. The males of broiler breeder hens were characterized by a significantly higher carcass weight, higher percentage content of neck, wings (P ≤ 0.01) and leg muscles (P ≤ 0.05) in the carcass and significantly less fatness (P ≤ 0.01) in comparison to the assessed females. The evaluation of the meat quality included the pH measurement and electrical conductivity after 24 hours from slaughter, determination of natural and thermal leakage, determination of colour parameters (L*, a*, b*) and the sensory evaluation of cooked meat. The breast muscles of males were significantly more likely to have a thermal leakage (P ≤ 0.05), while leg muscles were characterized by darker colour and less saturation in the yellow direction (P ≤ 0.01). The meat from breast muscles of females from broiler breeder hens had a more definite and desirable aroma and tastiness (P ≤ 0.01).

Keywords: carcass, quality of meat, sex, broiler breeder hen