Research Note: Comparison of Commercial Turkey Roasts Made from Large Hens and Small Tom Turkeys

Abstract

Large type hens (LH) and small type toms (ST) at 14 wk of age were commercially processed into white meat and white-dark meat roasts. Ready-to-cook weights were similar for LH and ST but white-dark roasts were heavier than white roasts. Roasts were cooked in a standard oven (163 C) to an internal temperature of 80 C. Although differences in cooking time were not detectable, total loss was greater for the white-dark meat than white meat, and fat in the drip was more extensive for LH than ST. Roasts from ST yielded more total meat than from LH birds, whereas the proportion of dark meat in the white-dark roasts was unaffected. Moisture content of white meat increased when dark meat was part of the roast. Fat in skin and in both white and dark meat was greater using LH than ST. (

Establishment of an in vivo turkey model for the study of flexor tendon repair

“…The reasons for choosing male BRH turkeys instead of the more conventional Broad Breasted White (BBW) production turkey were as follows: (1) the growth rate of the BRH turkey is much slower than that of the BBW turkey, a characteristic that allows for a relatively long‐term follow‐up after surgery without excessive weight gain; (2) footpad lesions are common in the BBW turkey but not in the BRH turkey; and (3) distal phalanxes are commonly removed at hatching in commercially raised BBW turkeys to avoid damaging the breast meat of their cage mates, a procedure that jeopardizes the deep flexor tendon (the tendon of interest for our study). Male turkeys are generally used for the production of ground meat; because of that production trend and the larger tendon size of male turkeys, which is comparable to that of a human finger, they were chosen for this study.…”