The Relationship Between Breast Angle and Breast Yield in Broilers

CONSIDERABLE interest is being shown by breeders and processors of broiler chickens in breast plumpness. It is quite generally thought that consumers prefer a plump-breasted bird because of a preference for white meat. With the increasing popularity of cut-up chicken, processors believe that a plump-breasted bird yields a greater percentage of breast meat than do birds with a less plump breast. The desires of the consumer and processor are reflected back to the breeder, with the result that one more character may have to be added to the many already in his selection program. The more characters that a breeder selects for, the less progress he can expect to make in any one character. The amount of selection that a breeder practices is limited, and therefore, he must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of adding another character to his selection program. The processor buys broilers mainly on the basis of …