HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moran, E. T. Articles by Bilgili, S. F. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Moran, E. T. Articles by Bilgili, S. F.

Influence of Broiler Livehaul on Carcass Quality and Further-Processing Yields

Poultry Science Department and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University, AL 36849-5416; Phone: (205) 844-2617; FAX: (205) 844-2641

Correspondence: E. T. Moran, Jr.

The loss in body weight with the transportation of broilers from live production to slaughter has always influence final product yield and quality. This study explored the extent of that influence. Both sexes of two diverse broiler strain-crosses, reared on common feed to 39 and 53 days of age, had feed withdrawn from each group for four hours followed by cooping. Birds were then either held stationary or transported for six hours with a four-hour preslaughter rest. After "on-line" processing, carcasses were cone deboned at either four or twenty-four hours post-chill.

This study found that birds lost more weight when transported than if kept stationary. This live weight differential was maintained through post-chill with the whole carcass and all cuts from deboning. Moisture uptake with chilling and subsequent losses from weepage and cutting were unaffected by livehaul. Carcass bruising was more extensive when birds had been kept stationary than if transported. Responses to livehaul were similar for each strain, with both sexes, and at both light and heavy weights.

Key Words: Broiler strains • carcass quality • further-processing yield • livehaul

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. A. Gomes, S. L. Vieira, R. N. Reis, D. M. Freitas, R. Barros, F. V. F. Furtado, and P. X. Silva Body Weight, Carcass Yield, and Intestinal Contents of Broilers Having Sodium and Potassium Salts in the Drinking Water Twenty-Four Hours Before Processing J. Appl. Poult. Res., January 1, 2008; 17(3): 369 - 375. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]