Pre slaughter fasting and free-range broilers meat quality

AbstractIt aimed to evaluate the quality characteristics of the rustic type broiler meat at different times of fasting. Birds, males, Pesadão Vermelho lineage, created up to 85 days old in semiextensivo system, were subject to the zero times, three, six, nine and 12 hours of fasting. This gave the live weight, carcass weight, cold carcass yield, the weight of the gastrointestinal tract of birds. The pH24h were evaluated, lightness (L*), red content (a*), a yellow content (b*), the water holding capacity, cooking loss of weight and shear force in meat breast, thigh and drumstick. Carcass yield lower was observed in the zero hour (74.54%) and the largest (82.43%) to nine hours of fasting. Greater weight to the gastrointestinal tract (540,8g) was observed at time zero and the lowest (229,33g) at 12 hours of fasting. There was no effect of different times of fasting in the quality characteristics of the meat of birds. There was a difference in pH24h, the lightness (L*), red content (a*), yellow content (b*) and water holding capacity when compared the breast meat cuts, thigh and drumstick of the rustic type broiler. Periods of fasting are recommended nine or 12 hours, in which there was higher cold carcass yield.