Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-03T20:44:25.803Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Estimation of abdominal fat in laying hens, turkeys and broilers using calipers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

S. P. Rose  and
W. Michie
S. P. Rose
Affiliation:
The North of Scotland College of Agriculture, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, Scotland
W. Michie
Affiliation:
The North of Scotland College of Agriculture, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, Scotland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Measurements were taken on 36 laying hens, 46 growing female turkeys and 36 broiler chickens using modified abdominal fat calipers to determine the prediction of abdominal fat in different classes of poultry. Four pairs of caliper measurements were taken on each bird by three operators (layers and turkeys) and one operator (broilers). The live laying hens and the plucked turkey carcasses were also scored for fatness. The caliper measurements were significantly related to the proportion of abdominal fat (g abdominal fat/kg body weight) in all three groups of birds. The correlation was greater in laying hens (0·81) and turkeys (0·76) than in broilers (0·51). There were significant operator effects upon the prediction of abdominal fat. In each case the measures obtained by two practised operators gave better prediction of abdominal fat than those from an unpractised operator.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 101 , Issue 2 , October 1983 , pp. 345 - 350
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Becker, W. A., Spencer, J. V., Mirosh, L. W. & Verstrate, J. A. (1979). Prediction of body fat and fat free live weight in broiler chickens using backskin fat and live body weight. Poultry Science 58, 835–842.Google Scholar
Evans, A. J. (1977). The growth of fat. In Growth and Poultry Meat Prodtwtion (ed. Boorman, K. N. and Wilson, B. J.). Poultry Science Symposium no. 12, pp. 29–64. Edinburgh: British Poultry Science Ltd.Google Scholar
Leclercq, B., Blum, J. C. & Bayer, J. P. (1980). Selecting broilers for low or high abdominal fat: initial observations. British Poultry Science 21, 107–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moran, E. T. Jr (1978). Influence of starting ration energy-protein ratio and fat content on finish grade of early and late marketed broiler torn turkeys. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 58, 605–614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moran, E. T. Jr (1980). Grading the turkey and carcass finish. Effects for the consumer. Turkeys 28, 23–25.Google Scholar
Pym, R. A. E. & Thompson, J. M. (1980). A simple caliper technique for the estimation of abdominal fat in live broilers. British Poultry Science 21, 281–286.Google Scholar
Snetsinger, D. C. & Zimmerman, R. A. (1974). Limiting the energy intake of laying hens. In Energy Requirements of Poultry (ed. Morris, T. R. and Freeman, B. M.). Poultry Science Symposium no. 9, pp. 185–199. Edinburgh: British Poultry Science Ltd.Google Scholar
Thompson, W. D. (1981). Editorial. NFU Quarterly Broiler Bulletin no. 35, p. 1. Honiton, Devon: NFU Publications.Google Scholar
van Middelkoop, J. H., Kuit, A. R. & Zegwaard, A. (1977). Genetic factors in broiler fat deposition. In Growth and Poultry Meat Production (ed. Boorman, K. N. and Wilson, B. J.). Poultry Science Symposium no. 12, pp. 131–144. Edinburgh: British Poultry Science Ltd.Google Scholar
Wakeling, D. E. (1977). Induced moulting – a review of the literature, current practice and areas for further research. World's Poultry Science Journal 33, 12–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar