Consumer interest in organic and natural poultry products raised with outdoor access is growing. An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of outdoor access and genotype on meat quality. One slow-growing genotype (S), 2 medium-growing genotypes (M1 and M2), and a commercial fast-growing genotype (F) were raised (straight-run) for 81, 67, or 53 d, respectively. The placement date was staggered in order to achieve a similar final body weight. Each genotype was assigned to 3 pens of 24 birds each and raised in indoor floor pens in a naturally ventilated facility; the S and F genotypes were also assigned to 2 floor pens with outdoor access containing 36 birds each. All birds were provided with the same starter, grower, and finisher feeds, and birds were commercially processed. Pectoralis samples were collected at 6 h postmortem for proximate analysis and evaluation of meat quality. The principal effect of outdoor access was to make the meat more yellow in the case of the S genotype (P < 0.05) although not the F genotype (P > 0.05). Drip loss and cook loss (%) were affected (P < 0.05) by genotype, with the highest losses occurring with the S genotype and the lowest losses occurring with the F and M genotypes. Tenderness was affected (P < 0.05) by gender as well as production system but only in the F birds. Pectoralis dry matter (%), fat (%), and ash (%) were largely unaffected (P > 0.05) by genotype or outdoor access. These data indicate that meat quality differences exist among genotypes with very different growth rates and reared with or without outdoor access.

Consumer interest in organic and free-range poultry production is growing. An experiment was conducted to assess the impact of genotype and outdoor access on growth rate and carcass yield. One slow-growing genotype (S), 2 medium-growing genotypes (M1 and M2), and a commercial fast-growing genotype (F) were raised (straight-run) for 81, 67, and 53 d, respectively. The placement date was staggered in order to achieve a similar final body weight and each genotype was processed on the same day. Each genotype was assigned to 3 pens of 24 birds each and raised in indoor floor pens in a curtain-sided house with ventilation fans; the S and F genotypes were also assigned to 2 floor pens with outdoor access (during daylight hours) containing 36 birds each. All birds were provided with the same starter, grower, and finisher feeds, and birds were commercially processed. Weight gain was similar (P > 0.05) among genotypes, but males gained more weight (P < 0.05) than females. The S and F genotypes had the highest and lowest (P < 0.05) feed intakes and, consequently, the lowest and highest (P < 0.05) feed efficiencies, respectively. The F genotype had the greatest (P < 0.05) breast yield (%) and the lowest (P < 0.05) wing yield (%). The S genotype exhibited the lowest (P < 0.05) breast yield (%) and the greatest leg quarter yield (%). Birds given outdoor access had greater (P < 0.05) bone strength in the tibia, and the F genotype had highest (P < 0.05) bone strength. These data indicate that substantial growth performance and yield differences exist among genotypes in alternative poultry systems.

This study was conducted to evaluate a new shearing method for the determination of poultry meat tenderness. Breast fillets were deboned at various postmortem times (0.25 to 24 h) to yield a vast array of tenderness levels. A trained descriptive panel was used to evaluate samples for attributes including initial hardness and chewdown hardness; instrumental measurements included Allo-Kramer (AK) and razor blade (RB) shear and laser sarcomere length determination. The RB shear method exhibited a higher correlation to sensory attributes than the AK method, suggesting that the new razor blade shear method is more advantageous in predicting poultry meat tenderness than the standard AK shear method. This new method not only has a higher sensory predictive value, but also requires shorter sample preparation time than the AK shear test because it is conducted on intact fillets.

Regression models were established to predict sensory tenderness of broiler pectoralis major muscles from instrumental shear values. Birds were processed and the breasts were removed at one of nine postmortem (PM) deboning times: 0.25, 1.25, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 6.0 and 24.0 h. A seven‐member trained panel evaluated the cooked samples for initial hardness, cohesiveness, moisture release, hardness of mass, cohesiveness of mass and number of chews. A 74‐member consumer panel was used to evaluate the samples for acceptance of overall texture and tenderness, appropriateness of juiciness and tenderness, and intensity of tenderness. The samples were analyzed using three instrumental shear tests (Allo–Kramer [AK], Warner–Bratzler [WB] and razor blade [RB]). Shear values and sensory scores were significantly affected by PM deboning time. Shear values correlated well with descriptive sensory attributes (R2 = 0.57 − 0.89) and consumer sensory attributes (R2 = 0.76 − 0.96). Descriptive sensory tenderness (hardness) was predicted better by the RB test, while consumer tenderness was predicted well equivalently by all three shear tests. As the RB test is simple and rapid, it is recommended that it be evaluated by the poultry industry as a quality control method.

Consumer interest in organic and natural poultry production is growing. An experiment was conducted to assess the impact of genotype and outdoor access on sensory attributes of broiler meat. One slow-growing genotype (S), 2 medium-growing genotypes (M1 and M2), and a commercial fast-growing genotype (F) were raised (straight-run) for 81, 67, or 53 d, respectively. The placement dates were staggered to achieve a similar final BW, and each genotype was processed on the same day. Each genotype was assigned to 3 pens of 24 birds each, and all birds were raised in indoor floor pens in a naturally ventilated facility. The S and F genotypes were also assigned to 2 floor pens with outdoor access (during daylight hours) containing 36 birds each. All birds were provided with the same starter, grower, and finisher feeds, and birds were commercially processed. Breast and thigh meat were evaluated for sensory attributes and acceptability by a consumer panel. The M1 and M2 breasts were more tender than other indoor genotypes (P < 0.05); however, all treatments scored "slightly to moderately tender." The thigh meat of the M2 birds was more flavorful than that of S birds (P < 0.05), and the flavor of the S thigh meat was less liked than other indoor genotypes (P < 0.05). Outdoor access did not impact flavor. These data indicate that differences in sensory attributes may exist among genotypes with different growth rates and reared with or without outdoor access.