The Effects Of Pre-Slaughter Withholding Of Feed And Water On Carcass Yield And Meat Quality Of Indigenous Guineafowl (<i>Numida mefeagris galeata Pallas</i>).

Abstract

Ninety indigenous pearl guineafowls, (Numida meleagris galeata Pallas) with average weight of 1.1kg were allocated at random to one of ten treatments to assess the effects of withholding feed alone or feed together with water on carcass shrinkage and meat quality. The ten treatments were slaughter from the feed lot (control), and sampling times of 6, 12, 18 and 24 hour. Weights of live and carcass were taken to monitor shrinkage along with relevant meat quality parameters. Live and carcass weights, weights of head, liver, kidneys and heart decreased
progressively as the length of fasting period increased. The progressive decreases in weights were found to be more pronounced in animals from which feed together with water were withdrawn. After 6 hours of fasting,
decreases in weights were found to be significant (P < 0.05). Ultimate pH and index of water holding capacity of the meats also increased with the increase in length of fasting period, with a concomitant decrease in cooking losses. The fat ratio of the carcass component decreased with increase in length of fasting. The implications of the effect of these observations on commercial guinrafowl meat production in the tropics are discussed.

Keywords: Timed withdrawal, Feed and water; Carcass yield, Meal quality, Guineafowl