Abstract
The goal of this study was to compare the production performance and meat quality of two Iraqi local chicken lines. The study was carried out between January 5, 2024, and June 5, 2024, at the Kani-Graw private field, which is 22 kilometers from Erbil City. 300 fertile eggs of two local line Iraqi Chickens (White and Black) were obtained from Agriculture Research Centre-Ministry of Agriculture-Baghdad. The hatchability percentage was 68%. Day old chicks hatched from eggs on 5 January 2024 of each line were divided randomly into four replications. The feeding system and lighting program were used based on ISA-BROWN guidance. The results cleared that, all production performance traits, which included the live body weight at 18 weeks of age, total weight gain, accumulative feed intake, feed conversion ratio, mortality percentage with production index, showed significant differences between the studied chick’s line, Black line showed higher total weight gain with lower mortality percentage and then higher production index than white line. The carcass parts, giblets, and inedible parts percentages, as it described that the white line was more significantly recorded on the carcass, thighs, neck, gizzard, skin with subcutaneous fat and Abdominal fat percentages than Black line. Likewise, the Black line was more significantly recorded breast, liver, spleen and Inedible parts than white line. The physical traits of breast meat cleared that the breast of white line recorded more significantly content of drip loss percentage than Black line, while Black line recorded more significantly content of W.H.C. percentage than white line. Furthermore, there were no significant variations in the cooking loss, pH value and breast color. In conclusion, Black line showed higher performance in production than white line.
Main Subjects
Adebambo, AO, Adeleke MA, Whetto M, Peters SO, Ikeobi CON, Ozoje MO, Oduguwa OO, Olufunmilayo A. Combining abilities of carcass traits among pure and crossbred meat type chickens. Int J Poult Sci. 2010; 9:777–783. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/88413360