Aims: The present investigation aimed at assessing the effects of feeding graded levels of DDGS with or without enzymes on the carcass characteristics of indigenous chicken.
Study Design: The experiment was conducted in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD).
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Science, Guwahati-22, Assam for a period of 182 d (13 fortnights) between January 2018 and June 2018.
Methodology: A total of 180 21 d old indigenous chicks were divided into six groups: T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 each with 30 chicks. The birds of T1, T3 and T5 were fed a basal diet containing 0, 10 and 20 per cent DDGS while the birds in T2, T4 and T6 were fed the same basal diet as that of T1, T3 and T5, respectively, but were additionally supplemented with a commercial exogenous multi-enzyme preparation. The feeding trial was conducted for a period of 182 d (13 fortnights) excluding a metabolic trial for a period of 8 days. At the end of the experiment, four birds from each treatment group were randomly selected, slaughtered and processed and different carcass traits viz. live weight, dressing percentage, relative weights of breast, thigh, drumsticks, liver, heart, gizzard, giblets, head and shank in relation to pre-slaughtered live weights were recorded. The chemical composition and organoleptic evaluation of meat samples from different treatment groups were also conducted.
Results: The percent dressing and eviscerated yields of experimental birds under different treatment groups were ranged from 66.81±0.37 to 67.68±0.41 and 71.74±0.54 to 73.35±0.34, respectively. No significant (P ≥ .05) differences were observed in respect of relative weights of various carcass traits in relation to the live body weights, the chemical compositions of breast meat comprising of moisture, crude protein, ether extract and total ash and the mean scores for organoleptic evaluation comprising of colour, tenderness, flavor, juiciness and overall acceptance of the breast meat of experimental birds from different treatment groups.
Conclusion: It is concluded that DDGS can be incorporated at 20% level in the rations of indigenous chicken for the economic gain without any adverse effect on dressing percentage as well as various carcass traits and organoleptic qualities.
