composition and cut yields of broiler chickens

As generally known, broiler meat quality is a very complex issue that can be looked at from several aspects. In terms of the meat processing industry and consumers ’ interests, fattened chicks should be characterised by good dressing percentage, desired conformation, as much meat on the carcass as pos-sible, optimal distribution of fat tissues, appropriate skin colour and least damage possible occurring during fattening, loading and unloading. With re-spect to that, the proportions of major basic carcass parts (breast, drumstick and thigh) as well as the presence of certain tissues in them are regarded as vital parameters determining broiler meat quality (Lewis et al., 1997; Sütö et al., 1998; Holcman et al., 2003; Ristic, 2003). The above-mentioned qual-ity traits depend on a number of factors. Of the biological ones, the greatest impact is produced by genotype, sex and age (Lewis et al., 1997; Bokkers and Koene, 2003; Hellmeister et al., 2003). Among numerous non-genetic factors that may have a considerable effect on meat quality, a broiler rearing system has been recognised over the past years by a large number of authors as being par-ticularly important (Lewis et al., 1997; Bokker