Abstract

THAYS DINIZ, Talyanne  and  MALAGOLI DE MELLO, Juliana Lolli. Effect of environmental temperature and reuse of bed on broiler meat quality. Ces. Med. Vet. Zootec. [online]. 2014, vol.9, n.2, pp.218-226. ISSN 1900-9607.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of environmental temperature and bed reuse on dressing percentage, breast quality and productive performance of broilers. A total of 900 Cobb® chicks were used, of which 450 were housed in a barn equipped with heaters and coolers while the rest (450 birds) were housed in a traditional shed for broiler production. In both facilities, birds were distributed either to a new or reused bed -the reused bed was previously treated with lime. Performance indices, dressing percentage and physicochemical quality of Pectoralis major muscle at 42 days of age were evaluated. The experimental design consisted in a completely randomized 2x2 factorial arrangement (temperature: thermo neutral or room temperature; bedding: new or reused bed) with five replicates per treatment. No effect of treatment on productive performance or dressing percentage was observed. Birds kept at room temperature had greater intensity of red color and lower breast oxidation (2.74 and 0.180 mg TMP/kg) compared to birds kept in the thermo-neutral environment at 42 days of age (TMP 2.20 and 0.230 mg/kg). Shear force was 1.38 kgf/cm² for the birds kept on new bed compared with 1.86 kgf/cm² for the animals kept on reused bed, indicating that the use of new bed favors meat tenderness.

Keywords : Dressing percentage; performance; shear force.

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