Abdominal and carcass fat in five broiler strains

Area of Science:

• Poultry Science
• Animal Science
• Avian Biology

Background:

• Broiler production is a major agricultural industry.
• Understanding factors influencing broiler growth and carcass composition is crucial for optimizing production efficiency.
• Abdominal fat content is a key economic trait in broiler chickens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance and carcass characteristics of five commercial broiler strains.
• To evaluate body weight, abdominal fat percentage, and total carcass fat.
• To determine correlations between body weight, carcass fat, and fat-free carcass in broilers.

Main Methods:

• Ten males and 10 females from each of five commercial broiler strains were raised to 55 days of age.
• Birds were weighed, slaughtered, and analyzed for body weight, abdominal fat, and total carcass fat.
• Statistical analysis was performed to identify significant differences and correlations.

Main Results:

• Mean live body weight was 2112 g for males and 1702 g for females.
• Mean abdominal fat was 2.9% for males and 3.3% for females; mean total fat was 13.4% (males) and 15.1% (females).
• No statistically significant differences in performance or fat content were observed between the five broiler strains.

Conclusions:

• Commercial broiler strains evaluated showed similar growth performance and carcass fat profiles at 55 days of age.
• Abdominal fat constituted approximately 22% of the total body fat in both male and female broilers.
• The findings suggest strain selection may have limited impact on these specific traits under the studied conditions.