STUDIES REGARDING QUANTITATIVE MEAT PRODUCTION OBTAINED AT SLOW GROWING HYBRIDS

Carmen Irimia (Gavrilescu), Paula Viorela Druc, C. Spridon, M.G. Usturoi

Abstract
    In a world which is in a continuous change, consumers are usually aware by the relation between meat quality and safety and animals’ welfare and many of them consider that chickens reared in free range system had superior sensorial qualities. The aim of the study was to evaluate the differences between growing performances (slaughtering yield, rate of cut portions and muscular mass) and abdominal fat quantity of broiler chickens with slow growing.
    For elaboration of the current study were chosen 3 hybrids, reared in extensive system, in blind shelters and with access in paddock during summer; rearing duration of chickens was 56 days. So, were constituted three batches, as follows: batch Lc1 - Ross 308 hybrid chickens; batch Lexp1 - Hubbard hybrid chickens and batch Lexp2 - HB Color hybrid chickens.
    Calculus of slaughtering yield show the fact that the best values (69±0.003%) were at chickens from batch Lc1, followed by chickens from batch Lexp1 (65±0.003%) and by chickens from batch Lexp2 (62±0.003%).
    Regarding the rate of anatomical portions, the established mean rates for breast with bone were 37% at batch Lc1, 35% at batch Lexp1 and of only 30% at batch Lexp2; the ones for thighs with bone were 34% at batch Lc1, 35% at batch Lexp1 and 34% at batch Lexp2, the values for wings were at levels of 12% for Lc1, 12% for Lexp1 and 14% for Lexp2, while back represented 17% from carcasses at batch Lc1, 19% at the ones belonging to batch Lexp1 and 22% for Lexp2.
    In according with the obtained results we can say that Hubbard hybrid is the most suitable one for slow growing, because recorded the most equilibrated rate for slaughtering yield related to the percentage of cut portions.

Key words: hybrids, slow growth, slaughtering yield, cut portions