Performance Evaluation of Two Slow-Medium Growing Chicken Strains Maintained under Organic Production System during Different Seasons

Assessment of nucleic acid content, amino acid profile, carcass, and meat quality of Thai native chicken

Functional foods are innovative products that hold health-enhancing potential. They are contributing to changing trends in both consumer behavior and the market. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of breed on the nucleic acid content, amino acid profile, carcass, and meat quality of different breeds of chickens. The outcomes of which could lead to the production of functional chicken meat. In this experiment, 4 genotypes of chicken, namely commercial broilers (CBR), Thai native chickens (Mae Hong Son; MHS), Thai native chickens (Pradu Hang Dam; PHD), and male layer chickens (MLC), were fed commercial feed and reared under identical conditions. All chickens were slaughtered at the market age, whereas the breasts and thighs were separated from the carcasses to determine chemical composition and meat quality. The results indicated that carcass and meat quality traits were significantly different (P < 0.05) among chicken breeds and meat parts. Notably, commercial breeds (CBR and MLC) were superior in performance and carcass quality when compared with the Thai native chickens (MHS and PHD). CBR had the highest growth performance and carcass quality traits (P < 0.01), whereas MHS exhibited the lowest weight gain (P < 0.05). However, Thai native chickens were lower in fat, cholesterol, triglycerides, purine, and uric acid (P < 0.05) contents than the commercial breeds. Interestingly, MHS contained the lowest purine and malondialdehyde levels when compared with the other breeds (P < 0.01). Moreover, MHS contained the highest amounts of glutamic acid in both the breasts and thighs (P < 0.05). Therefore, the meat of MHS may be classified as a functional chicken meat, as it was found to have a pleasant meaty taste and hold nutritional value, which positively influences consumers' health.

Use of Maca Powder (Lepidium meyenii) as Feed Additive in Diets of Laying Quails at Different Ages: Its Effect on Performance, Eggshell Quality, Serum, Ileum, and Bone Properties

Using additives can reduce the negative effects of aging on factors affecting profitability, such as the availability of nutrients, production, and egg quality. Maca is an herbaceous plant rich in protein, crude oil, essential acids, and pharmacological compounds. Maca has positive effects on different health parameters. In this study, the effect of adding Maca powder to the diets of young and old laying quails at the end of the 10-week trial was investigated. In total, 150 laying Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) (209.1 ± 10.0 g) were randomly distributed to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with two ages (10 weeks and 30 weeks) and three Maca powder levels (0, 1, or 2 g/kg), with five subgroups per treatment. According to the study, eggshell quality, total cholesterol, triglyceride, progesterone, and testosterone concentrations of serum were lower in old quail than in young quail, while egg weight, feed intake, and follicle-stimulating hormone increased significantly as quail aged. (p < 0.05). Furthermore, aging negatively affected the histomorphology of the ileum and cortical bone thickness (p < 0.05). Additional findings show that adding 1 g/kg Maca powder to the diet of quail significantly improved eggshell, ileum, and bone traits that deteriorate with age, without affecting performance, and adding 2 g/kg Maca powder to the diet significantly reduced serum total cholesterol levels (p < 0.05). Incorporating Maca powder into the diet of aged birds could reduce the negative effects of aging.