The Flavor of Modern- and Old-Type Chickens

THE interest of consumers and industry in flavor of poultry stimulated this study by the United States Department of Agriculture to compare the flavor of modern birds and birds representative of the 1930's. Many changes have taken place in the production of broilers in the last 10 or 15 years. Growth rate has been increased to such an extent that birds are now marketed at 9 weeks compared to 12 to 15 weeks a few years ago (Seeger et al., 1948). This change has been accomplished through changes in diet and breeding to improve growth and efficiency of feed utilization. Whether the changes in production of broilers have affected their flavor has not been carefully tested. The record of increase in per capita consumption of broilers from an estimated 2.5 pounds per year in 1947 to 19 pounds in 1957 (Anonymous, 1957) is indirect evidence that the flavor of the …