The present study was conducted to compare the carcass yields and meat characteristics of three types of commercial male chicks White mini broilers, Ross broilers and Hy-Line brown chicks under the identical feeding condition. One-hundred 1-d chicks of each type were randomly placed into four pens per group (25 chicks per pen) and fed corn-soybean meal based commercial diets for 35d, 18d or 49d, respectively. At the end of the feeding trial, the birds were sacrificed and subjected to carcass measurements. The dressing percentages of White mini broilers and Ross broilers were significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of Hy-Line brown cockerels. The rate of breast meat of Hy-Line brown cockerels was significantly lower (P<0.05) than those of White mini broilers and Ross broilers. However, Hy-Line brown cockerels showed higher (P<0.05) leg meats than the others. There were no significant differences in serum total cholesterol and the activities of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase among the groups. The breast meats of White mini broilers presented highest lightness value. The yellowness of breast and redness of leg meats of White mini broilers and Ross broilers were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of Hy-Line brown cockerels. There were no significant differences in the SOD-like activity and change of pH in edible meats among the groups. The meat color in White mini broilers was significantly higher than that of Hy-Line brown cockerels. No significant differences were observed in term of flavor, tenderness and overall acceptability. In conclusion, the physico-chemical properties and sensory characteristics of edible meats were not greatly affected by genotype if they were similar body weights and kept under the identical feeding condition. But the Hy-Line brown cockerels were less desirable as a meat-type strain due to lower carcass yields and inferior growth and feed conversion ratio.

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