Growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of yellow‐feathered broilers fed graded levels of alfalfa meal with or without wheat

Abstract

The effects of 0, 40 and 80 g/kg alfalfa meal on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers fed diets containing or lacking wheat (0 or 200 g/kg) as part of the energy source, were examined using random design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Dressing percentage and semi-eviscerated proportion were lower, and meat color a* (redness) value was higher in birds fed diets containing wheat than diets lacking wheat (P < 0.05). Drip loss was reduced by the addition of alfalfa meal to diets containing or lacking wheat (P < 0.05). Average sensory score of breast meat was higher in chickens fed corn-based diets than in those fed wheat (P < 0.05). Meat from those supplemented with 40 g/kg alfalfa meal had better taste than the other two levels (P < 0.05). The inclusion of wheat significantly reduced the activities of creatine kinase and calpain of breast muscle (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Chinese yellow-feathered broilers fed diets containing wheat had better meat color and lower drip loss than those fed the diets without wheat, and adding 40 g/kg alfalfa meal generally improved meat quality and taste.

Impacts of Graded Levels of Metabolizable Energy on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Slow-Growing Yellow-Feathered Male Chickens

“…China is the second-largest global producer of chicken meat, almost half of which is from Chinese yellow-feathered breeds [15]; Chinese annual production of such breeds exceeds four billion birds. The distinct flavor and favorable color of the meat are highly desired by local consumers in China and in neighboring countries [16]. There are three types of such chickens [17], broadly classified as fast- (marketable around 8–10 weeks, 1.47–2.30 kg weight), medium- (marketable 9–14 weeks, 1.00–2.27 kg weight), and slow-growing (marketable 12–25 weeks, 1.06–1.88 kg weight).…”

Modelling Methionine Requirements of Fast- and Slow-Growing Chinese Yellow-Feathered Chickens during the Starter Phase

“…In the same row, means not sharing a similar superscript (a, b, c, d) differ significantly (p < 0.05), the number of replicates was used as the experimental unit (n = 6). 1 Standard error of the mean from ANOVA (n = 6). 2 Where Y is final body weight, average daily gain, average daily feed intake or feed conversion ratio and X is total dietary content of methionine.…”

“…With the rapid development of economy in China, the second largest worldwide producer of chicken meat, market demands for nutrient-rich and tasty meat have been in continuous increase, which is boosting the industry of Chinese yellow-feathered chickens. The contribution of such chicken type in production has been growing; 3.7 billion birds annually with more than 30% of whole chicken meat shares in recent years [1]. The indigenous chickens have a recent increase in their commercial importance due to their favorable meat color and flavor, which highlights the need for comprehensive studies to enhance their feeding standards.…”

Dietary supplementation with pioglitazone hydrochloride and l-carnosine improves the growth performance, muscle fatty acid profiles and shelf life of yellow-feathered broiler chickens

“…Chicken meat is regarded as a good choice for healthy diets due to its higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) than that of meats from polygastric animals ( Berzaghi et al., 2005 ). Additionally, consumers prefer to choose meats with better color and taste ( Jiang et al., 2018 ). Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a key indicator of meat quality and has a positive impact on meat tenderness, flavor, and carcass performance ( Bonny et al., 2015 ; Costa et al., 2012 ).…”