Agriculture (Jan 2023)

The Effect of Humic Substances on the Meat Quality in the Fattening of Farm Pheasants (<i>Phasianus colchicus</i>)

  • Branislav Gálik,
  • Cyril Hrnčár,
  • Martin Gašparovič,
  • Michal Rolinec,
  • Ondrej Hanušovský,
  • Miroslav Juráček,
  • Milan Šimko,
  • Luboš Zábranský,
  • Anton Kovacik

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020295
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 2
p. 295

Abstract

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Background: The effects of humic substances (HSs) on the carcass characteristics and meat quality traits of breast and thigh muscles were studied. Methods: In total, 200 pheasants were allocated to 4 treatments, each containing 50 birds. The control birds were fed a diet without additives (0% HS); the other treatment birds were fed diets containing HSs at 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0% from 1 to 90 days of age. At the end of the experiment, several carcass characteristics were measured and breast and thigh muscle samples were taken to determine the composition of several nutrients by standard laboratory methods and procedures. Results: The carcass weights of both males and females increased significantly (p p p < 0.05), the highest carcass yield in males and females was found in the 0.50 HS group. Conclusions: Feeding with a diet containing HSs can have a beneficial influence on the carcass parameters, decrease the crude fat content in the meat and change the profile of bioactive fatty acids in the breast and thigh muscles of broiler pheasants.

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