MEAT QUALITY COMPARISON BETWEEN FAST GROWING BROILER ROSS 308 AND SLOW GROWING SASSO LAYING MALES REARED IN FREE RANGE SYSTEM

Abstract

       In chick hatcheries, males of laying hybrids are considered as the "waste" products and the majority of the males is killed just after hatching. However, the demand of consumers for products from alternative systems such as organic, free-range system is increased. Instead of transfer day-old laying males to the feed mill, the idea of rearing them in free range system was tested. The study was carried out on 2 chicken breeds: slow-growing line of feather Sasso (SA) and fast-growing Ross 308 broilers (RS). Sixty one-day-old chicks of each breed were kept in pens up to

21 days with density 6 birds/m2 and then free range reared in the garden with natural grasses and fruit trees with density 5 m2/bird. Data collection was conducted at 49 and 90 days of age for measurng meat quality parameters. The results showed that the live weight, carcass yield, breast meat yield and the proportion of abdominal fat were significantly higher (P > 0.001) in RS at both ages. The proportions of fat in the breast meat were significantly lower (P > 0.01) in SA at both ages. Themeat pH value at 24 h was significantly higher in SA and the meat was darker (P > 0.001) in these chickens. The overall acceptability was significantly better (P > 0.01) in SA at 90 days of age. The laying males are acceptable for an alternative system of poultry meat production in terms of meat quality. Meat quality of Sasso males was comparable or even higher than that of fast-growing chickens.