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Growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of yellow‐feathered broilers fed graded levels of alfalfa meal with or without wheat
Author(s) -
Jiang Shouqun,
Gou Zhongyong,
Li Long,
Lin Xiajing,
Jiang Zongyong
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/asj.12968
Subject(s) - meal , broiler , food science , biology , zoology
The effects of 0, 40 and 80 g/kg alfalfa meal on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of Chinese yellow‐feathered broilers fed diets containing or lacking wheat (0 or 200 g/kg) as part of the energy source, were examined using random design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Dressing percentage and semi‐eviscerated proportion were lower, and meat color a* (redness) value was higher in birds fed diets containing wheat than diets lacking wheat ( P < 0.05). Drip loss was reduced by the addition of alfalfa meal to diets containing or lacking wheat ( P < 0.05). Average sensory score of breast meat was higher in chickens fed corn‐based diets than in those fed wheat ( P < 0.05). Meat from those supplemented with 40 g/kg alfalfa meal had better taste than the other two levels ( P < 0.05). The inclusion of wheat significantly reduced the activities of creatine kinase and calpain of breast muscle ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, Chinese yellow‐feathered broilers fed diets containing wheat had better meat color and lower drip loss than those fed the diets without wheat, and adding 40 g/kg alfalfa meal generally improved meat quality and taste.