This experiment was designed in order to evaluate the effect of five intervals of pre-slaughter fasting (four, eight, 12, 14 and 16 hours) on weight loss, carcass yielding and poultry cuts yielding of broiler chickens. A total of 120 males and 120 females broiler chickens of Cobb lineage were raised during 44 days. On the 44th day, chickens were grouped according to their fasting period (treatments) and gender. Each treatment was composed of 24 repetitions. Animals of the of four, eight, 12 and 16 hours treatments were not fed ration while animals of the 14 hours fasting treatment were not fed ration or water. The statistical test used for mean comparison was SNK (Student-Newman-Keuls). The following variables were analyzed: loss of live weight, rate of water absorbed by carcass; whole carcass and commercial cuts (legs and forelegs, chest, dorsum, wings, feet and head and neck) yielding; gizzard and liver yielding as well as intestinal weight. The fasting periods of eight 12, 14 and 16 hours showed greater carcass yielding (P<0.05) being higher than those from the four hours fasting period. The four hours fasting group showed the highest yielding of liver and intestinal weight in relation to the other groups (P<0.05). The fasting period did not influence the rate of water absorption or the gizzard weight (P>0.05). Females retained more water than males and showed higher carcass and commercial cuts yielding than males (P<0.05).
fasting; pre-slaughter; carcass yielding; broiler chicken
