Productive Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens at Different Marketing Ages

Abstract

Length of production cycle and broiler marketing decision is an important issue especially when productivity and product quality are considered. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the age at marketing on productive performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality traits of broiler chickens at five different ages. For this purpose, a total of 450 mixed-sex Cobb 500 broiler chicks were used. Chicks were randomly distributed into five equal groups with 3 replicates allocated in 15 pens. Broilers were reared until different marketing ages at 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 days. Productive traits were recorded and performance indexes were calculated at different marketing ages. At each marketing day, a slaughter test was done using 12 birds subjected to a simplified carcass analysis. Breast muscles were used for evaluated meat quality and physicochemical properties. The results indicated that the age at marketing had significant effects (p<0.05) on all parameters investigated in point of productive traits, performance indexes, carcass traits, cut-up pieces and meat quality of broiler chickens. In conclusion, delaying marketing age positively increased live body weight and yield of live mass. But it negatively reduces feed efficiency, feed conversion ratio and livability % with increasing age which negatively affected the EPEF of broiler production. According to the EPEF, which expresses technical efficiency in one index, it can be stated that broiler production is only profitable with an EPEF at 30 th and 35 th days of age only. Thus, broiler farmers and producers have to differentiate or balance between ignoring some reduction in productive performance and compensating this with some added value from selling chicken in portions. But actually further research is required to find out an optimal marketing age in terms of economic considerations to calculate the costs and profits at different marketing ages.

Carcass and retail meat cuts quality properties of broiler chicken meat based on the slaughter age

“…The pH for the breast meat was significantly higher in the highest slaughter age group of 34 days compared to the other slaughter age groups (p < 0.05), and it also appeared to increase with lengthening the slaughter age for the thigh meat. A previous study reported an increasing pH level with increasing slaughter age for broilers from 30 to 50 days [25], similar to other poultry meat, which was consistent with this study. Changes in meat pH of slaughter age are concomitant with changes in lactate and glycolytic potential [26].…”

Effects of Marketing Ages on the Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Aspects of Cured Broiler Chicken Breast Meat

“…According to a recent study of the characteristics of broiler carcasses, among the various changes in the proximate composition, the protein content tended to increase with increasing marketing age, with a higher protein content being found in the 34 day sample than in the 28 day sample, as also observed herein [ 3 ]. Such differences in protein content according to age were also consistent with the results of carcass characteristics analysis in the 30–50 day samples examined by Abougabla and Taboosha [ 20 ], who also reported that the protein content increased while the water content decreased. These results indicate that the differences in the proximate composition according to the marketing age would also affect the proximate composition of cured chicken breast.…”

“…In general, the shear force of meat increases with age due to the fact that the protein content in the muscle increases relative to the other components, and the composition of the connective tissue becomes denser as the livestock matures [ 36 ]. Such densification of the muscle protein is caused by changes in the properties and collagen and elastin content, that is, the proteins of which the connective tissue is composed [ 20 ]. In the context of collagen, which has the most significant effect on reducing the protein’s tenderness upon maturation, the degree of crosslinking between the polypeptide chains increases, resulting in the formation of a more robust structure [ 18 ].…”

“…As described above, the flavor of raw chicken meat is determined by components such as the free amino acids and fatty acids [ 46 ], which can be influenced by various factors, including the breed, sex, age, and nutritional content of the feed provided in the breeding environment, although age tends to impart the greatest effect [ 20 ]. In general, for the same breed and variety, the meat of an older organism tends to possess a stronger aroma and flavor (metallic, bloody) compared to younger organisms [ 37 ], and so the determination of an optimal age for processing is necessary.…”

“…However, in terms of the texture, it was found that the tenderness decreased with increasing marketing age. This was attributed to the fact that, with increasing maturity, the structures of the extracellular fibers, such as collagen, elastin, and reticulin, become more dense, thereby resulting in an increased shear force, as mentioned above [ 20 ]. Such a reduction in tenderness therefore resulted in a low score for the texture component.…”