ANBAR JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Abstract

This experiment was conducted at the poultry farm of the Dept.of animal resources / college of Agricultural / University of Baghdad ,to investigate the effect of age and sex on some physical and chemical characteristics of broiler (Ross 308).Two hundred broiler chicks were reared, at four weeks of age, males were separated from females , and reared in different pens.
Results revealed that significant (P < 0.05 ) increases in live body weight, breast weight, thigh weight , percentages of fat , protein and ash , were observed, in addition of water holding capacity (WHC) , cooking losses and flavor were also increased as the birds get older.
It was also observed that sex different significantly ( P < 0.05) in live body weight, the weight and percentage of main cuts (breast, thigh and drumstick) moisture, protein percentages and WHC of males were higher than those of female.
It can be concluded from this experiment that broilers can be rearing up to nine weeks of age in order to get higher body weight with good quality meat .Also it can be concluded that males can be rearing and obtained high quality .