Variations in carcass yield and meat sensory quality attributes between turkeys (meleagris gallopavo) reared in free-range and confinement rearing systems

Experiment was conducted to compare carcass yield and meat sensory quality parameters of turkeys Meleagris gallopavo reared under free-range andconfinement rearing systems. There were two treatments, each containing25 birds. In indoor treatment, the turkeys were raised in a 20 × 20 feet (length × width) room. In the free-range treatment, the birds were housed in an open cage having same dimensions i.e. 20 × 20 feet (length × width), in addition, they had a free-range grass paddock. To compare sensory attributes 4 ready to-cook turkeys having equal size were selected from free-range and indoor rearing systems. The birds were skinned and boneless breast fillets and thighs were weighed and steam roasted. The roast breast meat of free-range turkeys was darker and yellower whereas cooked thigh was light yellow than meat from indoor birds. Among the rearing systems non-significant variations in all the meat sensory quality attributes were recorded for chest pieces of male and female and thigh piece of female birds. However, significant (p<0.05) differences in color, tenderness, oiliness and overall acceptability were observed for thigh meat of male M. gallopavo. Similarly, significantly (p<0.05) heavier wing piece, liver, kidneys and claws were observed in M. gallopavo reared in confinement as compared to free-range rearing system. It can be concluded from the present study that carcass yield and meat sensory quality attributes are influenced by the rearing systems and meat of the birds reared under free-range system is preferred by the consumers due to better sensory quality attributes.