Comparative Assessment of Physical and Nutritional Meat Quality Traits among Different Chicken Breeds
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53560/PPASB(63-2)1093Keywords:
Meat Quality, Poultry Breeds, Chicken, Nutritional Evaluation, Proximate CompositionAbstract
Exotic and indigenous chicken breeds are gaining popularity over broilers due to their specific meat taste and flavor. This study evaluated the physical and nutritional meat quality traits of four chicken breeds to identify the most suitable breed for meat consumption. A total of 60 day-old-chicks of four different breeds (Fayoumi, Black Australorp, Naked Neck and Aseel) were assigned into 4 groups (15 chicks/group) and were raised for 20 weeks post-hatch. At the end of trial, meat samples (n = 5) from each group were assessed for physical traits (pH, water holding capacity, drip loss, and cooking loss) and nutritional composition (dry matter, protein, fat, and ash content). The Fayoumi breed exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) higher meat pH (5.74), greater water-holding capacity (49.73%), and lower drip loss (2.81%) than Black Australorp (5.18, 49.25%, 3.21%), Naked Neck (5.39, 49.04%, 3.07%), and Aseel (5.26, 46.94%, 3.22%). Cooking loss was comparatively lower in Fayoumi (25.89%) than in Naked Neck (26.88%) and Aseel (27.79%), while Black Australorp showed the lowest cooking loss (24.44%). The Fayoumi meat also contained significantly (P < 0.05) higher dry matter (30.54%), protein (21.88%), fat (5.13%), and ash (1.53%) relative to Black Australorp (28.36%, 21.16%, 4.13%, 1.07%), Naked Neck (28.60%, 20.92%, 4.34%, 1.35%) and Aseel (25.99%, 19.91%, 3.03%, 10.05%). In conclusion, Fayoumi chickens demonstrated superior overall meat quality, characterized by favorable physical properties and enhanced nutritional composition, suggesting that this breed may be a more suitable choice for consumers seeking high quality poultry meat.
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