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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Changes in growth performance and body and carcass composition of common pheasants following three generations of selection for higher 7-week bodyweight

D. Zapletal A C , K. Karásková B and E. Straková B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Animal Husbandry and Animal Hygiene, Palackeho tr., 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.

B University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Animal Nutrition, Palackeho tr., 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.

C Corresponding author. Email: zapletald@vfu.cz

Animal Production Science 57(2) 223-228 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14952
Submitted: 24 November 2014  Accepted: 16 September 2015   Published: 22 January 2016

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selection of common pheasants for a higher 7-week bodyweight (BW) over three generations on growth performance and composition of body and carcass under intensive rearing. A total of 160 chicks of the selected (S) and the control (C) lines (n = 80, respectively), were used in the experiment. At the end of the experiment (100 days), pheasants of the S line achieved an increase of 9.2% in the average BW compared with those of the C line. The feed conversion ratio over the 100-day period was 5.92 and 5.51 g/g in the S and C lines, respectively. After slaughter, pheasants of the S line showed significantly higher weights of the carcass, legs, skinless legs, neck, heart and liver than those of the C line. The direct positive selection for the 7-week BW in pheasants resulted in significant decreases in carcass dressing-out percentages and the proportion of breast muscle, legs, skinless legs and leg muscles to pre-slaughter BW; only a relative proportion of the heart was higher in the S line than that in the C line (P < 0.01).

Additional keywords: animal husbandry, carcass composition, poultry.


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