Effect of genotype and sex on carcase composition, physicochemical properties, texture and microstructure of meat from geese after four reproductive seasons.

1. The objective of this study was to compare carcase weight and composition and meat quality traits of Landes, Slovak White and Kuban geese after four reproductive seasons. A total of 42 goose carcases (seven males and seven females from each breed) were assessed.2. After four reproductive seasons, the breeds differed in eviscerated carcase weight. Slovak White geese showed more breast muscle with a cooking loss, whereas Kuban geese had a higher percentage of neck and carcase discards compared to the other breeds. The breeds differed in the chemical composition of breast and leg muscles, except for collagen in breast muscles and protein in leg muscles.3. Regardless of breed, males had heavier carcase weight and higher breast muscle, leg muscle, neck and wings and lower percentages of skin with subcutaneous fat and abdominal fat relative to body weight compared to females. Sex had a significant effect on the fat and salt content, meat lightness, most textural characteristics and endomysium thickness of breast muscle. The same differences in leg muscles for chemical composition (except for protein percentage) and lightness were recorded.4. Breed x sex interactions were significant for the proportion of leg muscle, chemical composition of breast and leg muscles (except for leg protein content), muscle fibre cross-sectional area and fibre perimeter of pectoralis major muscle.5. The results showed that the carcases and meat of the goose breeds after four reproductive seasons were suitable for consumers and meat processors, due to favourable composition, high nutritive value and good technological properties.

Carcass composition and selected meat quality traits of Pekin ducks from genetic resources flocks.

The aim of the study was to compare P33 (Polish Pekin), P8 (Danish Pekin), and P9 ducks (French Pekin) for body weight, dressing percentage, carcass composition, and selected meat quality traits. A total of 180 ducks, 30 males and 30 females of each strain, were kept indoors on deep litter and fed complete commercial diets ad libitum. At the end of 8 wk, the ducks were weighed and 7 males and 7 females of each strain (42 birds in total) were slaughtered and dissected. The pH and electrical conductivity of breast and leg muscles were determined 24 h postmortem. After dissection, samples of breast and leg muscles were collected to determine of selected meat quality characteristics. At the age of 8 wk, P8 ducks had significantly higher body weight and carcass weight compared to P9 and P33 birds. The carcasses of P8 ducks contained significantly more breast muscles compared to the carcasses of P9 birds. The proportion of abdominal fat was higher in P8 and P9 ducks than in P33 ducks. Regardless of the genetic origin, males had a significantly lower percentage of breast muscles and a higher proportion of neck in the carcass compared to females. P33, P8, and P9 ducks exhibited significant differences in the sodium and magnesium content of breast muscles and in the sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium content of leg muscles. Male breast muscles contained more sodium, and their leg muscles had a lower potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron content compared to females. The breast and leg muscles of P9 ducks exhibited lower electrical conductivity (EC24) compared to P8 and P33 ducks, while the breast muscles of P9 ducks had a significantly higher cooking loss. The strains of ducks under study differed in lightness (L*) and redness (a*), and in hardness, chewiness and gumminess of pectoralis major muscle. Females showed higher hardness and chewiness of breast muscles compared to males.