The effect of a housing system in slaughter turkeys on mechanical damage to carcass and meat quality

The aim of the experiment was to find out whether the housing of Polish white broad-breasted heavy type turkeys J-22 on slatted floor (group I) and litter floor (group II) has an effect on the final body weight, body weight loss during transportation, mechanical damage to carcass and physical and chemical properties of breast meat. The turkeys were kept in controlled environment: turkey hens for 16 weeks (group I - 29 birds; group II - 30 birds) and turkey cocks for 23 weeks (group I - 21 birds; group II - 28 birds) in compliance with the parameters recommended for this species. The turkey cocks kept on the slatted floor made of metal mesh had lower final body weight (11 929 g), higher body weight losses during transportation (2.41%) and higher number of birds with damaged carcasses (95%) in comparison with the turkey cocks kept on the litter floor (13 307 g, 1.94% and 54%, respectively). Moreover, higher levels of lactic acid (turkey hens 119.83 µM/g; turkey cocks 148.09 µM/g) and larger juice area (6.5 cm2, 8.27 cm2, respectively) in breast meat after slaughter were found in the turkeys of both sexes kept on the slatted floor compared to the turkeys kept on the litter floor (108.79 µM/g and 6.25 cm2, respectively for turkey hens and 128.29 µM/g and 5.23 cm2, respectively for turkey cocks). The values of meat pH1, pH2 and pH3 for all the groups were typical of good quality meat and ranged between pH1 6.22-6.27, pH2 5.85-6.06 and pH3 5.55-5.64. However the production performance results indicate that the housing of heavy turkeys on slatted floor is not recommended.