Potential impact of stocking density on growth, carcass traits, indicators of biochemical and oxidative stress and meat quality of different broiler breeds

Mohammed A F Nasr; Adel Q Alkhedaide; Amal A I Ramadan; Abd-El Salam E Hafez; Mohamed A Hussein

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2021.101442

Potential impact of stocking density on growth, carcass traits, indicators of biochemical and oxidative stress and meat quality of different broiler breeds

Poult Sci. 2021 Nov;100(11):101442. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101442. Epub 2021 Aug 19.

Authors

Mohammed A F Nasr¹, Adel Q Alkhedaide², Amal A I Ramadan³, Abd-El Salam E Hafez³, Mohamed A Hussein³

Affiliations

¹ Animal Wealth Development Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt. Electronic address: Mohammed.nasr@zu.edu.eg.
² Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Turabah University College, Taif University, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: a.khedaide@tu.edu.sa.
³ Food Control Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt.

Abstract

The aim of the current study to investigate the potential impact of different stocking densities on growth performance, carcass traits, indicators of biochemical and oxidative stress and meat quality of Arbor Acres and Ross-308 broiler breeds to recommend the better stocking density with low production cost simultaneously with high quality. A total of 312 one-day old of each Arbor Acres broiler and Ross-308 were randomly classified into 3 experimental groups with different stocking density, each of 6 replicates. The first group (SD₁) was 14 birds/m² (28 kg/m²), while the second group (SD₂) was 18 birds/m² (36 kg/m²) and the third group (SD₃) was 20 birds/m² (40 kg/m²). The growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality hematological and biochemical parameters were measured. SD₃ group possessed the lowest body weight. Alanine transaminase in Arbor Acres was 15 and 14% higher in SD₃ when compared with SD₁ and SD₂, respectively. While, was 21 and 20% of Ross-308, respectively. SD₃ revealed the highest values of cholesterol, TG, MDA, and LDL of both breeds when compared with SD₁ and SD_2, with the lowest levels of HDL, GPX, and IGG. Birds of SD₃ was the nastiest carcass weight 873 (P = 0.000) and 1,411.60 g (P = 0.000); dressing percentage 63.07 (P = 0.000) and 75.83% (P = 0.000); breast weight 513.10 g (P = 0.000) and 885.50g (P = 0.000); thigh weight 359.90 g (P = 0.000) and 526.08 g (P = 0.000) when compared with SD₁ and SD₂ of Arbor Acres and Ross-308, respectively. The dressing % of SD₁ and SD₂ was approximately 19% better than that of SD₃ of Arbor Acres, while it was 4% of Ross-308. The cooking loss and drip loss of breast and thigh muscles were higher in SD₃ of both breeds. Moreover, SD₃ possessed the highest bacterial count. In conclusion birds reared in medium stocking density revealed better performance and welfare than high density but similar to low density. Therefore, from the economic point, medium density was the best.

Keywords: Ross 308; arbor acres; biochemical parameters; performance; stocking density.

MeSH terms

Animal Husbandry*
Animals
Chickens* / genetics
Meat / analysis
Muscle, Skeletal
Oxidative Stress
Random Allocation