Quality and Yield of Modern and Old-Type Chickens

THE present study was supplementary to a cooperative investigation of three research groups within the U.S. Department of Agriculture1 to compare the flavor of modern chickens with that of those representative of the 1930's. Results on flavor from all laboratories have been reported by Hanson et al. (1959) together with details on the breeds and the rations under study and the procedures employed. This report presents data on some quality aspects other than flavor and on yield of meat from roasted three- and five-pound (live-weight) male and female chickens from four different breed-ration groups as follows: Fast-growing, modern breed—1956 ration Fast-growing, modern breed—1930 ration Slow-growing, old-type breed—1956 ration Slow-growing, old-type breed—1930 ration The four groups of chickens were compared within each weight-sex category for tenderness evaluated by palatability panel and Kramer Shear Press, for color by Gardner Color Difference Meter, and for yield. For some groups …