A halothane test to detect turkeys prone to developing pale, soft, and exudative meat

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Poultry Science
• Meat Science

Background:

• Pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat in turkeys negatively impacts processing due to color variation, poor binding, and low water-holding capacity.
• PSE meat is linked to accelerated postmortem muscle metabolism, potentially sharing genetic links with a similar condition in swine.
• A rapid, non-destructive screening method is crucial to prevent the propagation of PSE susceptibility in turkey breeding flocks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the halothane test, commonly used in swine, as a detection method for PSE-susceptible turkeys.
• To assess if turkeys exhibiting leg muscle rigidity after halothane exposure develop PSE meat characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments involved exposing turkeys (n=116 and n=504) to 3% halothane gas for 3 minutes to observe leg muscle rigidity.
• Post-exposure, breast fillets were analyzed for pH, R-value (inosine:adenosine ratio), color, and expressible moisture content.
• Meat quality parameters of halothane-responding birds were compared to non-responding birds.

Main Results:

• A small percentage of turkeys exhibited leg muscle rigidity (5% in Experiment 1, 2% in Experiment 2), indicating some discriminatory potential of the test.
• However, no significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in the muscle quality characteristics (pH, R-value, color, moisture) between responding and non-responding birds.
• The halothane test, as applied, did not reliably identify turkeys predisposed to developing PSE meat.

Conclusions:

• The halothane challenge test, under the conditions used, is not an effective method for detecting PSE-susceptible turkeys.
• Further research may be needed to optimize screening age, testing methods, or consider alternative genetic markers for PSE susceptibility in turkeys.
• Preventing PSE meat requires improved diagnostic tools for breeding programs.