Comparison of growth performance and meat traits in Pekin ducks from different genotypes

The experiment was conducted with three groups of commercial crosses of Pekin meat ducks: SM3 Heavy, Star 53 H.Y. and AF51. Each group was divided into three subgroups, each having 10 males and 10 females. A total of 180 ducks were evaluated. Birds were kept on litter in a confinement facility in 9 pens and ad libitum fed on commercial diets. Throughout rearing, body weight (days 1 and 49) and feed consumption (daily) were recorded. At 49 days of age, 10 males and 10 females were chosen from each group for slaughter. The carcasses were chilled and dissected. The pH of muscles and colour coordinates were determined 24 h postmortem . The samples of breast and leg muscles, obtained after dissection, were analysed for the content of selected minerals. Compared to AF51 birds, SM3 Heavy and Star 53 H.Y. ducks had significantly higher body weight and daily gain, a better feed conversion ratio (kg feed/kg weight gain), higher dressing percentage and percentage of breast muscle and lower percentage of skin with subcutaneous fat and abdominal fat . Male AF51 hybrids had significantly higher body weight and dressing percentage compared to females. The genotype had no significant effect on the pH 24 of breast muscle and L*, a* and b* values of leg muscles. The breast muscles of 49-day-old AF51 females, compared to the muscles of SM3 Heavy and Star 53 H.Y. birds, were characterised by significantly higher redness and yellowness, darker colour and lower copper and magnesium content, whereas leg muscles contained less sodium, magnesium and copper. In leg muscle, females had significantly more iron (in all the hybrids) and zinc (only SM3 Heavy hybrid) compared to males.