The effect of feed withdrawal during lairage on meat quality characteristics in ostriches

Commercially reared ostriches (n=84) were randomly allocated to one of two groups. The first group (stressed: n=38) was deprived of food for a period of 2.5 days prior to slaughter, to simulate the stress experienced by slaughter ostriches held in holding pens (lairage) at a commercial ostrich abattoir over a weekend. The second group (control: n=46) was fed normally until 24 h prior to slaughter. Initial live weight as well as hot and cold drumstick weight were independent (P>0.05) of treatment. Stressed birds lost on average (±SE) approximately three times more weight than control birds over the experimental period (-3.2±0.6 vs. -1.0±0.5 kg, respectively). Full stomach and alimentary tract weights did not differ between treatments although there was a tendency for that derived from stressed birds to have lower stomach contents. The intra-muscular (Muscularis iliofibularis) pH(f) of stressed birds was 0.22 units higher (P<0.01) than that of contemporaries in the control group 1 h post-slaughter (6.03±0.06 vs. 5.81±0.05, respectively). After 26.5 h in a refrigerated room, this difference still remained at 0.25 units (6.46±0.07 vs. 6.21±0.07, respectively; P<0.05). Post-slaughter changes in intra-muscular pH followed approximately the same trend in stressed and control birds. Intra-muscular temperature was largely independent of treatment, although there was a suggestion of a slightly higher (P=0.18) temperature in stressed birds immediately post-slaughter. Cooking loss, drip loss and shearing values were not affected (P>0.05) by the withholding of food for 2.5 days. It can thus be concluded that withholding feed from ostriches on lairage over a period of 2.5 days does not have any negative influence on the meat yield or physical quality traits thereof.