A comparative study on meat yield and product quality of commercial broiler chickens of three live weight groups

Thirty commercial broiler chickens with 5 male and 5 female under each of Low (<1700g), Medium (17002200g) and Heavy (>2200g) weight groups were utilized in the study to see the effect of live weight on meat yield and product quality. Per cent yield of the breast increased gradually with the increasing body weight. Per cent yields of breast fillets, chicken tender, total white meat and total deboned meat were found to be highest in the heavy weight broilers. Cooking loss decreased but protein and fat content of breast and leg meat increased gradually with the increasing body weight. Highly acceptable products were prepared from all the three groups. Tandoori breast fillets, tandoori chicken tenders, nuggets and patties prepared from the heavy weight birds exhibited higher cooking yield, protein content and sensory scores compared to the other two groups. Improvement in texture and overall palatability was observed in nuggets and patties with the increasing live weight of the birds.