Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in Fast-Growing, Local, and Crossbred Chickens Under Standard and Low-Input Diets

The integration of alternative feeding strategies and diversified genetic resources represents a key approach to improving the sustainability of poultry production systems. This study evaluated the effects of genotype and diet on carcass traits, meat quality, fatty acid profile, and sensory characteristics in a fast-growing genotype (Ross 308), two Italian local breeds (Bionda piemontese and Robusta maculata), and their crosses with a medium-growing strain (Sasso). A total of 441 chickens were allocated according to a factorial design including genotype, diet (standard vs. low-input), and sex. At genotype-specific commercial endpoints, 240 carcasses were analyzed for carcass traits and meat quality, and a subset (n = 120) was used for chemical composition, fatty acid profile, and sensory evaluation. Ross 308 showed the highest carcass weight and breast yield, but also the highest cooking losses and lipid oxidation. Compared with Ross 308, local breeds and crossbred chickens exhibited lower carcass performance but also lower “wet feathers” scores and higher polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and n-3 proportions. The low-input diet reduced carcass weight and breast yield, impaired some sensory attributes, and shifted fatty acid composition towards lower PUFA and n-3 contents and a higher n-6/n-3 ratio. Overall, crossbred genotypes showed intermediate carcass performance and some meat quality traits comparable to those of local breeds.