Carcass composition and quality of meat from Pekin ducks finished on diets with varying levels of whole wheat grain

The aim of the research was to determine the effect of replacing part of a commercial feed mixture with whole wheat grain on the bodyweight, carcass composition and meat quality of Pekin ducks. A total of 160 1-day-old sexed SM3 Heavy hybrid ducks were used in the study. Two diets were given during the rearing period (36–49 days): (1) a complete commercial diet ad libitum, and (2) restricted amounts of a commercial diet (85%) and whole wheat grain (15%). Each treatment consisted of four replications of 20 birds each. Adding whole wheat grain to the ration resulted in no significant (P > 0.05) changes in bodyweight (3475.8 g), feed conversion ratio (0–49 days, 2.50 kg DM intake/kg liveweight gain) dressing percentage (70.1%) and carcass tissue composition in ducks at 49 days of age. Breast muscle (superficial pectoral muscle) from ducks fed the commercial diet and whole wheat grain was significantly (P < 0.05) lighter in colour (L* = 39.9 vs 38.0) and a deeper yellow colour (b* = 1.7 vs 0.8), as compared with that from birds receiving the complete commercial diet alone. Breast muscle (superficial pectoral muscle and profound pectoral muscle) also had significantly (P < 0.05) higher threonine (3.9 vs 5.1 g/100 g DM) and valine content (4.0 vs 5.0 g/100 g DM). However, leg muscle (thigh and drumstick muscles) from experimental ducks had a significantly (P < 0.05) lower content of crude fat (5.1% vs 4.2%) and collagen (1.5% vs. 1.1%), as well as less glutamic acid (14.2 vs 12.5), proline (3.5 vs 3.2), alanine (3.0 vs 2.5) and arginine (6.5 vs 5.6 g/100 g DM), as compared with the control birds.