Impacts of rearing-related factors on the slaughter characteristics of broilers

Abstract

Animal production systems and agribusinessFull-length research article Impacts of rearing-related factors on the slaughter characteristics of broilersABSTRACT -We investigated the influence of poultry rearing factors, including strain, type of ventilation, and sex on the slaughter characteristics of broiler chickens. Factorial analysis of mixed data was employed to analyze the data from broiler flocks slaughtered between 2018 and 2020 in Mato Grosso do Sul, comprising 2,684 flocks and 82,486,500 birds. The characterization information considered included age at slaughter, average weight, date of slaughter, percentage of pododermatitis, percentage of scratches, percentage of pre-slaughter condemnations, percentage of slaughter condemnations, percentage of total condemnation, percentage of field mortality, type of ventilation, strain, and sex. The factorial analysis of mixed data aimed to identify the relationships between pre-slaughter factors and slaughter characteristics. Five main components, explaining 85.5% of the total data variance, were derived from the analysis. Age, generated value per kilo of product, and percentage of pre-slaughter condemnations exhibited positive correlations. Negative pressure ventilation was found to be more closely associated with the percentage of pododermatitis, while the dark house system showed a stronger association with the percentage of total condemnation and percentage of pre-slaughter condemnation. The Cobb strain and female sex were found to be more strongly related to the generated value of the product. Strain, sex, and type of ventilation were identified as decisive factors influencing the characteristics of meat yields and the economic results of poultry activity in slaughterhouses. Moreover, it was observed that percentages of scratches and pododermatitis were negatively correlated with the value generated ($/kg) by broiler flocks, and they were more closely associated with positive pressure ventilation systems, Ross strain, mixtures of strains within the same flock, and male chickens. It was possible to prove the strong interdependence between the rearing stage of broiler chickens and the slaughterhouse, which needs to be considered in decision making by agroindustry to achieve an ideal rearing model.