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Title: EFFECTS OF AGE, GENDER AND COMMERCIAL SOURCE OF BROILERS ON YIELD OF CARCASS PARTS

Author
item NORTHCUTT, J - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Lyon, Clyde
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff
item Young, Louis
item Poole, Gavin
item Dickens, James
item ALLEY, M - AUBURN UNIVERSITY
item BILGILI, S - AUBURN UNIVERSITY
item HESS, J - AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A study was conducted to determine the effects of processing age,gender, and commercial source of chicks on yield of broiler carcass parts. Broilers were grown in 20 mixed sexed pens, with 50 broilers in each pen (25 birds per sex). At 5, 6, 7, and 8 wk of age, 3 male and 3 female broilers from each pen were cooped and held without feed and water for 10 h. Broilers were weighed, slaughtered, the eviscerated carcasses were packed in coolers on ice. Carcasses were manually cut-up into combined drums, wings, tenders, fillets, and thighs (with back). Yield of carcass parts was expressed as a percentage of live weight before slaughter. Broiler weight at slaughter increased with age from 1.6 to 3.0 kg for females, and from 1.9 to 3.7 kg for males. Gender, processing age, and commercial broiler source significantly affected yield of carcass parts. However, gender had no effect on yield of wings, thighs, or fillets. Drum yield was greater for male than female broilers, and differed by 0.3 to 0.6 percent of the live weight as age increased. Tender yield was greater for female than male broilers, and differed by 0.1 to 0.4 percent of the live weight as processing age increased. Wing and drum yield were higher, while fillet and tender yield were lower for broilers from one commercial source. Differences in fillet yield between the two commercial broiler sources increased with age from 1 to 1.85 percent of the live weight at slaughter. Tender yield followed the opposite pattern with differences between the two commercial broiler sources decreasing with age, and ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 percent of the live weight at slaughter. Information related to yield of carcass parts can be useful in product cost allocation and optimizing economic gain.