Quality Trait Evaluation of Thigh Meat in Chicken Genotypes Under On-Station Condition

Background and Objective: The evaluation of thigh meat quality in different chicken genotypes under on-station conditions is crucial for improving poultry production, meat quality, and consumer preferences. This study evaluated the thigh meat quality traits of six chicken genotypes under on-station conditions: Cosmopolitan (C), Improved horro (H), ♂Improved horro×cosmopolitan♀ (HC), ♂Cosmopolitan×improved horro♀ (CH), indigenous (L), and koekoek (KK). The objective was to assess genetic influences on meat quality over 24 weeks. Materials and Methods: A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used, and data were analyzed with the general linear model (GLM) in SAS software. A total of 144 chickens (24 per genotype) were slaughtered, and each thigh sample was replicated six times for analysis. Meat quality traits, including shear force (WBSF), water-holding capacity (WHC), pH at 45 min (pH 45) and 24 hrs (pH 24), cooking loss (CL), drip loss (DL), and color parameters (L*, a*, b*, C*, h*), were considered significant at p<0.05. Results: The highest WBSF was recorded in KK, followed by C and CH, while L had the lowest. The thigh meats from L and HC exhibited the highest WHC, whereas KK had the lowest. The pH45 was highest in L and lowest in KK. The pH24 was significantly higher in L, while C, CH, and KK showed the lowest values. The CL was greater in KK, CH, and C, while DL was highest in KK and CH. Lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue angle (h*) were highest in KK, CH, and C, whereas L had the lowest L*. Conclusion: Genetic variations significantly affect thigh meat quality traits in chickens. Further research should investigate the biochemical mechanisms underlying these differences.