Chemical composition and quality of turkey - broiler meat from crosses of layer light (LL) and meat heavy (MH) turkey

The present study was performed in the Turkey Breeding Farm of the Agricultural Institute, Stara Zagora. The experimental birds were crosses of Turkey Layer Light (LL) at 36 weeks of age, used as maternal line, artificially inseminated with semen from Meat Heavy (MH) turkey gobblers. Turkey poults were reared up to 20 weeks of age using a traditional fattening production system. The birds were fed ad libitum with compound feeds according to their category and age. At 20 weeks of age, birds were slaughtered, and samples from breast muscles: m. Pectoralis superficialis, m. Pectoralis profundus and from the thigh muscles (m. Femorotibialis) were obtained. The chemical composition of turkey meat was analyzed – water, proteins, fat, mineral substances and dry matter. Also, meat pH, water holding capacity (WHC %) and the colour of the three studied muscles were investigated. Meat pH was determined by the 24 th post mortem hour. Then carcasses were cooled and stored in a refrigerator at 4 o С. WHC of meat and muscle colour were determined by the 24 th post mortem hour. There were no statistically significant differences between the contents of main chemical substances of meat between the genders. Breast meat had a relatively higher protein and lower fat content than thigh meat. Statistically significant (P<0.05) is the content of protein in the females breast muscles 23.0% relatively 20.73% of the female thigh muscles. Low degree of reliability (P<0.05) is characterized the contents in males thigh muscles to the males breast muscles males. Breast meat in both genders had lower meat рН24 values compared to thigh meat. The values of the L