The Influence of Environmental and Processing Conditions on the Physical Carcass Quality Factors Associated with Oily Bird Syndrome

Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of dietary energy, environmental temperature, scald water temperature, and batch picking time on the carcass quality factors often associated with oily bird syndrome. In Experiment 1 birds were fed dietary energy levels of 3100, 3400, and 3700 kcal/kg and processed at either 53.3 C scald and 60 sec picking time or a 60 C scald and 25 sec picking time. In Experiment 2 two dietary energy levels (3230 and 3440 kcal/kg) were fed to birds reared in either 23.9 C or 35.0 C environmental temperature pens. Three scalding temperature treatments (50.0 C, 53.3 C, and 56.7 C) and two picking time treatments (30 or 60 sec) were evaluated on birds from each environmental and dietary treatment. Individual live weight, dry eviscerated weight, ready-to-cook weight, and moisture absorption after chilling were determined. Subjective scores for oily, loose, and broken skin were performed on each bird. Results indicated that dietary energy and environmental temperature had little effect, other than those influenced by bird weight, on the carcass quality parameters tested. Scald water temperature had little effect on moisture absorption but did influence the subjective skin scores. Increased scald temperature decreased loose and broken skin scores but increased oily skin scores. The greater picking stress resulted in increased moisture absorption, oily, loose, and broken skin scores.