Rearing temperature and the meat yield of broilers

Abstract

1. One hundred and twenty (60 male and 60 female) 21‐d‐old Ross 1 broiler chicks were reared in cages in rooms kept at 21°C or 31°C and were killed at body weights of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 or 3.0 kg. 2. Birds reared at either of the two temperatures ate similar quantities of food to reach their slaughter weight although at 31°C they took longer to reach it. 3. The meat yields of the birds at each slaughter weight were similar at both rearing temperatures, but at body weights greater than 2.0 kg, the broilers reared at 21 °C had more breast meat than those reared at 31°C. 4. Females ate more food than males to reach each of the slaughter weights. The females deposited more fat and had a greater skin weight than the males and, although they had a similar amount of total meat, they had more breast meat.