Effects of brooder machine rearing method in the first week on fattening performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and some blood parameters of Pekin ducks

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine effects of brooder machine rearing method in the first week on fattening performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and some blood parameters of male and female Pekin ducks. A total of 120 (60 male and 60 female) ducklings were used in the research. Each sex group was randomly allocated into two rearing methods. In the first group (brooder machine), ducklings were arranged in the brooder machine from 1 to 7 d then reared on the deep litter floor until day 42. In the second group (litter/control), ducklings were reared on the deep litter floor from the day 1 to the day 42 of the fattening period. At the day 41 of the fattening period, 5 ducks from each sex and rearing groups were randomly selected and bled. At the day 42 of the fattening period all ducklings were slaughtered in a commercial slaughterhouse. Hot carcass yield, organ weights and carcass characteristics were determined. Also pH, ash, fat and crude protein were determined in the breast and thigh muscles. Total body weight gain, hot carcass yield and breast percentage of ducks reared on the litter group (control group) were significantly (P<0.01; P<0.001; P<0.05) higher than those of ducks reared in the brooder machine group. Thigh fat content and breast fat content were affected by first week rearing method and these traits were higher (P<0.01) in the litter group (control group) than the brooder machine group. Only creatinin kinase level in the examined blood parameters of ducks was higher in the group reared on the litter (P<0.05). Sex affected the hatching weight, body weight gain from 1 to 42 d, feed intake from 1 to 42 d, ash of thigh meat and also ash and crude protein of breat meat (P<0.01). In conclusion, the fattening performance, hot carcass yield and percentage of breast of the pekin ducks were positively affected by the litter floor in the first week.