Growth and meat quality of three free-range chickens and commercial broiler under the same breeding conditions

Recently, consumers have paid an attention to animal-friendly meat. The aim of the study was to evaluate the meat quality of breast muscles in indoor and free-range chickens with respect to the stocking density of outdoor chickens (8.3 or 4.15 birds per m2) fed feed with rapeseed oil. The free-range chickens reached 96 and 97% of the final live weight of the indoor chickens and their feed : gain ratio was by 7 and 9% higher. The pasture intake had a small effect on the breast meat quality and was presumably associated with rapeseed oil in the basal diet which strongly influenced meat monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid content and reduced the effect of pasture. The free-range system and lower stocking density led to an increase in muscle fibre cross-sectional area and diameter and a higher meat shear force (P = 0.003). Concerning the meat sensory properties, the total acceptability of the meat of free-range chickens with a lower stocking density was found to be lower compared with the other groups.esults indicate a minor effect of the rearing system and free-range stocking density on chicken meat quality, and also that meat quality in experiments with free-range housing can be affected by a fat source in basal diet.

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Feedlot performance, carcass composition and meat quality of free-range reared pigs

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/a96-093 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 77 (2) ◽

pp. 225-232 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

A. P. Sather ◽

S. D. M. Jones ◽

A. L. Schaefer ◽

J. Colyn ◽

W. M. Robertson

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Wholesale Price ◽

Carcass Composition ◽

Housing System ◽

Feedlot Performance ◽

Free Range ◽

Housing Systems ◽

Key Words Animal ◽

Potential Benefits

The effects of the housing system (confinement versus free-range) and season (summer versus winter) on growth performance, carcass composition and meat quality were determined from commercial pigs with known NN genotype at the halothane locus. Free-range-housed pigs reared from 25 to 105 kg required 16 ± 1.2 (SEM) more days to reach market weight compared with confinement-housed pigs. Housing did not affect feed requirements during the summer, but food consumption increased by 13.7% for free-range pigs during the winter. Confinement-reared pigs had a 0.75 ± 0.28 kg heavier commercial carcass weight than free-range-reared pigs. While there was no difference in carcass fat thickness, muscle depth was 2.4 ± 1.02 mm greater in free-range-reared pigs with increased predicted lean yield from 59.1 ± 0.24% to 59.8 ± 24%. Free-range-reared pigs had heavier butts, loins and hams, and lighter bellies, which increased their wholesale carcass value by 2.9%. Furthermore, they had greater dissected lean in the picnic (2.0%) butt (4.0%), loin (4.5%) and ham (2.0%) with no compromise to pork quality. If the wholesale price is adjusted for the increased lean content of each cut by an additive or multiplicative model, apparent value was further increased to 5.7 or 8.1%. While these results suggest a beneficial effect on carcass merit when rearing hogs in outdoor facilities, they further suggest potential benefits to carcass grading using developing technologies that recognize differences in carcass conformation. Key words: Animal ethics, Landrace, carcass value, housing systems

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Performance, carcass yield, and meat quality of free-range broilers fed wet grain corn silage

Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science ◽

10.1590/s1516-635x2006000200007 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 113-118 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

ESPB Saldanha ◽

AA Mendes ◽

CC Pizzolante ◽

SE Takahashi ◽

CM Komiyama ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Corn Silage ◽

Carcass Yield ◽

Free Range

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Slaughter performance and meat quality of Milanino chickens reared according to a specific free-range program

Poultry Science ◽

10.3382/ps/pex439 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 97 (4) ◽

pp. 1148-1154 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

F. Mosca ◽

L. Zaniboni ◽

S. Stella ◽

C.A. Kuster ◽

N. Iaffaldano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Free Range ◽

Slaughter Performance

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The effect of production system (barn and free-range), slaughtering age and gender on carcass traits and meat quality of partridges (Alectoris chukar)

British Poultry Science ◽

10.1080/00071668.2016.1144920 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 185-192 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

U. S. Yamak ◽

M. Sarica ◽

M. A. Boz ◽

A. Ucar

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Production System ◽

Carcass Traits ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Free Range ◽

Alectoris Chukar ◽

And Gender

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The meat quality of layer males from free range in comparison with fast growing chickens

Czech Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.17221/3/2009-cjas ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 54 (No. 11) ◽

pp. 490-497 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

M. Lichovníková ◽

J. Jandásek ◽

M. Jůzl ◽

E. Dračková

Keyword(s):

Meat Quality ◽

Live Weight ◽

Poultry Meat ◽

Meat Production ◽

Breast Meat ◽

Fast Growing ◽

Free Range ◽

Overall Acceptability ◽

Breast Meat Yield

: In chick hatcheries, males of laying hybrids are considered to be “waste” and the majority of these males are killed just after hatching. On the other hand, the interest of consumers in products from alternative systems (organic, free-range) is increasing. The idea was to evaluate the meat quality of these males when they have access to free range because there is not such a study available. The aim of this study was to compare the physical and sensory quality of the meat of layer males with fast-growing broilers at the same age when they had both access to free range and when they were fed to 49 and 90 days of age. Slow-growing ISABROWN (IB) layer males and fast-growing Ross 308 (RS) chickens were kept in free-range conditions to evaluate carcass and meat quality at 49 days and 90 days of age. Live weight, carcass yield, breast meat yield and the proportion of abdominal fat were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in RS at both ages. The proportions of fat in the breast meat were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in IB at both ages. The value of pH 24 h was significantly higher in IB and the meat was darker (P < 0.001) in these chickens. The overall acceptability was significantly better (P < 0.01) in IB at 90 days of age. The laying males are acceptable for an alternative system of poultry meat production from the aspect of meat quality. The quality was comparable or even higher in comparison with fast-growing chickens.

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