Effect of Cage and Floor Housing Systems on Muscle Fiber Characteristics, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Slow-Growing Meat-Type Chickens

Yanyan Sun, Chen Liu, Yunlei Li, Dongli Li, Lei Shi and Jilan Chen ()
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Yanyan Sun: Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Chen Liu: Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Yunlei Li: Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Dongli Li: Beijing Bainianliyuan Ecological Agriculture Co., Ltd., Beijing 101599, China
Lei Shi: Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Jilan Chen: Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-11

Abstract: This study compared floor (FS) with cage systems (CS) for slow-growing meat-type chickens in terms of muscle fiber characteristics, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. Following the design of a factorial arrangement of 2 housing systems × 2 genders, 180 male and 180 female Beijing You chickens of 8 weeks old were allocated to FS and CS. At the end of 17 weeks, five males and five females from each replicate were selected for measurement. No difference was observed in body, carcass, or eviscerated weight ( p > 0.05). FS birds showed higher muscle yield and lower abdominal fat composition ( p < 0.05). Inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP) content was not affected by housing system or gender ( p > 0.05). On the contrary, intramuscular fat (IMF) content was affected by both in a way that CS birds and females had higher IMF content ( p < 0.05). FS birds had a higher percentage of white muscle fibers ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and muscle fiber type of slowing-growing broilers are influenced: rearing on the floor may improve muscle development and reduce fat deposition without impairing marketing weight and rearing in cages may improve IMF content.

Keywords: chicken; housing system; meat quality; carcass characteristics; muscle development; gender (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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