Prediction of carcass and breast weights and yields in broiler chickens using breast volume determined in vivo by real-time ultrasonic measurement

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Severiano
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Outros Autores: Pinheiro, Victor, Guedes, C.M., Mourão, José Luís
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10348/2584

The use of in vivo real time ultrasound (RTU) to predict breast and carcass weights and yields in 103 male broiler chickens was evaluated. Breast area (mm2), thickness (mm) and volume (cm3) were measured by RTU in three identified sites. After RTU measurements, the broiler chickens were weighed (LW) and slaughtered. Carcass and breast weights (g) and physical measures of breast area (mm2), and thickness (mm) corresponding to the 3 identified sites, and volume (cm3) were recorded. 2. The best simple correlation between RTU and carcass measurements was obtained for breast volume (r=0.866; P<0.01). Breast and carcass weights were well predicted by LW (r2=0.850 and r2=0.961, respectively; P<0.01). Furthermore, breast volume measured in carcass or by RTU were better in predicting breast weight and breast and carcass yields (r2 varied from 0.879 to 0.952; P<0.01). 3. Multiple regression equations were fitted using LW (g) and RTU measurement of breast volume to predict breast and carcass weights and yields. The determination coefficients were 0.520 and 0.650 for breast and carcass yields, respectively, and 0.924 and 0.987 for breast and carcass weights, respectively.