Changes in muscle hydroxyproline content, carcass rate and carcass composition were evaluated on Korean native chicken and improved chicken during growing. Muscle hydroxyproline content was higher in initial and final stages of growing than in middle ...
Changes in muscle hydroxyproline content, carcass rate and carcass composition were evaluated on Korean native chicken and improved chicken during growing. Muscle hydroxyproline content was higher in initial and final stages of growing than in middle stage. Male and native chicken showed higher contents of muscle hydroxyproline than female and imporved chicken, respectively. Carcass rates were higher in improved chicken than in native chicken and higher in male than female. The carcass rate of female chicken increased until 20 weeks and decreased thereafter, whereas that of male kept increasing. No significant difference in protein content of the edible portion of carcass was found between native and improved chicken and between male and female chicken, showing about 20%. Moisture content of edible carcass increased as growing, while fat content decreased. The present results and relationship of collagen, containing large amount of hydroxyproline, and meat tenderness suggest hat native chicken has a lower meat quality than improved chicken.