The quality of muscle tissue and the proportion of economically valuable body parts of poultry
Feher, G.; Fazekas, S.; Poka, G.; Telki, A.; Ludrovszky, F.
Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde 129(10): 537-544
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-7281 PMID: 3423782 Document Number: 298338
To investigate the deterioration in muscle quality in table poultry, in particular protein content, male and female carcasses of day-old fowls, ducklings and goslings (3 breeds), as well as of adult birds of the 3 species, slaughtered at the normal age for broilers were examined to determine (1) the percentages of valuable parts and (2) the biochemical composition of breast and leg muscles and their collagen and protein percentages. Results are tabulated. Differences were found in both characters between the species, breeds and sexes. The proportion of valuable protein in the muscles was particularly low in fowls and ducks, while that of less valuable protein was high in the 2 species. Muscle quality was better in geese. The trait used at present for assessing meat quality in poultry (the cost of producing 1 kg live weight) should be abandoned in favour of other aspects of meat quality, such as the percentage of valuable parts, liver production, food conversion and muscle quality.