The effect of age of sensory meat quality of males of laying hybrids

The aim of the study was to evaluate the sensory quality of carcass of layer males ISA Brown. The males were fattened to 90 and 132 days. In both ages samples of breast and thigh were used for the sensory evaluation.The birds were provided by a private producer. There were 20 birds in each experimental group. Both the groups were housed on deep litter and fed a commercial broiler diet. The first group was slaughtered at 90 days of age at a processing plant, the second group continued fattening till 132 days at the Department of Animal Breeding. At 132 days, the birds were slaughtered at the in-house abattoir.The sensory evaluation was carried out at the sensory laboratory at the Department of Food Technology at MZLU in Brno. The sensory evaluation was carried out by the trained staff of the Department. Samples were evaluated by the sensory profile method with description of edge points.The higher age had highly significant (p < 0.01) effect on tenderness of the breast muscle (meat from the older birds was assessed as tougher). The age had significant effect (p < 0.05) also on the colour of thigh muscle (the meat of the older birds was assessed as darker). Thus, the evaluators concluded the shorter fattening period as more favourable.However, as for carcass weight, weight of carcass parts and processing at an automatic slaughtering line, the longer fattening period (132 days) seems to be more convenient. It is also necessary to take into account increased cost and marketing possibilities for such products.