Effects of Age and Sex on Meat Quality of Turkish Native Geese Raised Under A Free-Range System

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of sex and age on meat quality characteristics of Turkish native geese raised under a free-range system. The range of least squares means for age and sex subgroups in terms of ultimate pH, water holding capacity (WHC), drip loss (DL), cooking loss (CL) and Warner-Bratzler shear force (SF) were 5.74-5.88, 8.99-9.69%, 3.36-3.63%, 27.67-29.97% and 3.15-3.38 kg/cm2, respectively. Least squares means for colour characteristics of breast skin were 61.97-62.60 for lightness (L*), 5.11-5.84 for redness (a*) and 11.18-12.26 for yellowness (b*) according to age and sex groups. Colour variables of breast meat were 40.15-40.59 for L*, 12.30-13.61 for a* and 0.83-1.16 for b* parameters. While the effect of age on breast meat quality characteristics were not significant (P > 0.05), sex affected on ultimate pH and a* parameter significantly (P 0.05).