Growth performance and quality properties of meat from broiler chickens reared under different monochromatic light sources

• Published in: British poultry science Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 76 - 82
• Main Authors: Karakaya, M, Parlat, S.S, Yilmaz, M.T, Yildirim, I, Ozalp, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 2009
• Subjects: animal growth; Animals; blue light; body weight; Body Weight - physiology; breast muscle; broiler chickens; chicken meat; Chickens - growth & development; Color; Cooking; cooking loss; Eating - physiology; feed intake; Female; firmness; green light; hens; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; light; light quality; Lighting - methods; Meat - standards; meat quality; Muscle, Skeletal - growth & development; Organ Size - physiology; Random Allocation; skeletal muscle; tissue weight; water holding capacity
• ISSN: 0007-1668; 1466-1799
• DOI: 10.1080/00071660802629571

1. Quality properties of breast and drumstick muscles of female broiler chickens reared under different light sources were evaluated using a total of 480 female chicks (Ross 308). 2. After hatch, the chicks were randomly divided into three lighting treatment groups: control (daylight; mini incandescent lamps), G-B lighting group (green light monochromatic (MC) lamps for first 3 weeks switching to blue MC lamps for remaining 3 weeks), G-GB mixed lighting group (Green MC light for first 3 weeks, switching to Green MC light + Blue MC light mixture for remaining 3 weeks). 3. Feed consumption, body weight and total muscle weight values of the muscles from G-B and G-GB mix lighting groups were significantly higher than those of incandescent (control) lighting groups. 4. The breast and drumstick muscles from control lighting groups had a lower pH and water-holding capacity, but higher cooking loss values than those from G-B and G-GB mix lighting groups. The muscles from G-GB mix lighting groups exhibited the softer structure than those from other lighting groups. 5. We suggest that G-B or G-GB mix lighting during the rearing period of female broilers would improve body and muscle growth and then meat quality properties.