CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF BROILER CHICKEN FED DIETS CONTAINING GARLIC, GINGER AND TURMERIC AS FEED ADDITIVES

Abstract

A total of one hundred and ninety-eight (198) broiler chicks were used in a 56-day feeding trial to determine the carcass characteristics and sensory properties of broiler chickens fed diets containing garlic, ginger and turmeric as additives. The birds were randomly allocated into six (6) treatments (T1-T6). Each treatment had three replicates with eleven (11) birds per replicate. T1 was the control diet; T2 had an inclusion level of 0.75 % turmeric; T3 had an inclusion level of 0.75 % turmeric and 0.50 % garlic; T4 had an inclusion level of 0.75 % turmeric and 1.00 % inclusion level of garlic; T5 had an inclusion level of 0.75 % turmeric and 0.50 % inclusion level of ginger; T6 had an inclusion level of 0.75 % turmeric and 1.00 % inclusion level of ginger. The birds were offered feed and clean drinking water ad libitum for eight weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, two birds from each replicate were randomly selected and deprived of feed for 12 hours; then weighed to determine their live weights. The birds were then slaughtered, by cutting their jugular veins to allow proper bleeding. The slaughtered birds were defeathered using hot water and eviscerated to evaluate their carcasses. The results showed that there were no significant (P>0.05) differences in the values obtained for dressing percentage and the primal cuts such as neck, wings, breast, thigh, drumsticks, shanks and back. However, there were significant (P<0.05) differences in the values obtained for live weight, defeathered weight, dressed weight and weight of the head. For the sensory properties, there were no significant (P>0.05) differences in the values obtained for appearance, flavour, aroma and overall acceptability. However, there were significant (P<0.05) differences in the values obtained for juiciness and tenderness. The highest juiciness value was recorded in broiler birds fed diet T6 (8.35) but was not significantly different from those recorded for broiler birds fed diet T2 (7.85), T3 (8.00), T4 (7.75) and T5 (7.95). The least value (7.55) was recorded in broiler groups fed the control diet T1. It can be concluded that the inclusion level of 0.75 % turmeric and 1.0 % inclusion level of garlic as feed additives in broiler diet improved the live weight, defeathered weight and dressed weight of broiler chicken. It also improved the sensory properties of the meat of broiler chicken, especially the juiciness
and tenderness.