Effect of soft and moderately hard water intake on meat quality characteristics of broiler chickens

Abstract

A Fifty-six (56) days experiment was conducted to evaluate the “Effect of soft and moderately hard water intake on meat quality characteristics of broiler chickens”. Three hundred (300) day old broiler chickens of Hubbard breed were used. The  chickens were randomly allotted to two (2) treatment groups. Group one are chickens administered soft water (SW) and group two are chickens administered moderately hard water (MHW). Each treatment had six replicates with twenty-five (25) birds per  replicate. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Data were collected on carcass  cut-up parts and visceral organs, breast meat quality   characteristics and breast meat proximate composition. The percentage cut-up parts and visceral organ characteristics were significantly (P<0.05) different. Breast meat quality characteristics was also significantly (P<0.05) different in cold breast meat water holding capacity. Breast meat proximate composition values were also significantly different in the ether extract. MHW can replace SW without any adverse effect on meat quality characteristics of broiler chickens.

Key words: Soft; Moderately, Hard water; Meat quality; Broiler chickens.