Temporal Characterization of Wooden Breast Myopathy (“Woody Breast”) Severity and Correlation with Growth Rate and Lymphocytic Phlebitis in Three Commercial Broiler Strains and a Random-Bred Broiler Strain

AbstractWooden breast myopathy (WBM), or “woody” or “wooden” breast affects modern, rapidly growing, high breast-yield broiler chickens. Decreased meat quality due to undesirable organoleptic properties and condemnation of affected breast meat cause economic losses. The pathogenesis of WBM remains unknown. In this study, WBM lesion development was determined in 3 modern broiler strains and Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB) broilers, a 1950’s unselected broiler chicken. Correlations between WBM severity and incubation temperature profile, sex, strain, body weight, and lymphocytic phlebitis were also determined. At 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks, samples of breast muscle from 10 male and 10 female birds from each strain, incubated under optimal or low-early, high-late temperatures, were scored histologically for severity of WBM and lymphocytic phlebitis. WBM lesions, identified as early as 2 weeks, became progressively more severe with age and growth in the three commercial broiler strains. WBM severity was signific...