RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAGE AREA AND YIELD OF THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF CHICKEN CARCASSES
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Publication date: 2007-12-31
Pol. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 2007;57(Special issue 4A):81-83
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ABSTRACT
The aim of the research paper was to monitor and evaluate the effect of different cage area on live weight and carcass parameters of hybrid combination Ross 308 cocks and hens in 35 days feeding period. The experiment was performed in experimental practice of Department of Poultry Science and Small Animal Husbandry of Slovak Agricultural University Broiler chickens were kept in a three-deck cage system. Every cage had breadth 4320 cm2 (90 cm length, 48 cm width and 40 cm depth). One day chickens were randomly divided into three groups: The control group with 0.036 m2 of provided area for one chicken, the 1st experimental group with 0.0432 m2 of provided area for one chicken and the 2nd experimental group with 0.054 m2 of provided area for one chicken. The live weight of broiler chickens has been weighted in weekly periods at 1, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of age. Carcass parameters (share of breast from carcass, share of thighs from carcass and carcass value) have been specified in 6 chickens (nearby average live weight) from each group after the end of the experiment.
At the end of the feeding period at the age of 35 days we noticed the similar tendency in live weight in cocks as well as in hens. We found out the highest average live weight in the 2nd experimental group with 0.054 m2 of provided area for one chicken (1677.67 g in cocks and 1540.42 g in hens) and the lowest average live weight in the control group with 0.036 m2 of provided area for one chicken (1488.83 g in cocks and 1402.25 g in hens). In carcass parameters of cocks we found out the highest average values of share of breast from carcass (28,38 %) and carcass value (74.48 %) in the control group with 0.036 m2 of provided area for one chicken and the lowest average values of these parameters in the 2nd experimental group with 0.054 m2 of provided area for one chicken. Only in the share of thighs from carcass we found out the same tendency as in the live weight. We observed the highest average values of share of breast from carcass (30.95 %) in hens in the 2nd experimental group with 0.054 m2 of provided area for one chicken and share of thighs from carcass (33.62 %) in hens in the 1st experimental group with 0.0432 m2 of provided area for one chicken and carcass value (74.64 %) in hens in the control group with 0.036 m2 of provided area for one chicken.