Carcass and meat quality traits of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) under warm-humid condition of West Bengal, India
N Ghosh and L Mandal
Department of Animal Science, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia
– 741 252, West Bengal, India
gnilotpal@yahoo.com
(Paper
presented at
the 6th All India People’s Technology Congress,
February
10-11, 2007, Forum of Scientists, Engineers and Technologists,
Kolkata, India)
Abstract
The
carcass and meat
quality traits of two breeds of broiler rabbits, viz., Soviet
Chinchilla and Grey Giant were studied under warm-humid conditions of
West Bengal.
Overall
dressing
yields averaged 47.6, 51.7 and 57.9% in respect to hot carcass, hot
carcass plus giblet, and hot carcass plus giblet and dressed head,
respectively. The dressing yield was more in Grey Giant than Soviet
Chinchilla, and it was higher in males than females in both the
breeds. Statistically breed and sex had no significant effects on
various carcass characteristics. The rabbit meat is high in protein
(20.2%) and low in fat (7.9%) than those of common meat sources like
chicken, lamb and pork. The breed and sex had no significant effects
on various meat quality traits.
Key words: carcass, dressing yield, Grey Giant, meat quality trait, Soviet Chinchilla
Introduction
Rearing
rabbits for
meat is an established industry in many countries of the world but
study of broiler rabbits under different agro-climatic zones of India
is very scanty. The carcass quality and meat chemical composition of
broiler rabbits are influenced by breed (Ouhayoun 1998; Singh and
Prasad 2005). This article reports the effect of breed and sex on
carcass characteristics and meat chemical composition of male and
female rabbits of Soviet Chinchilla and Grey Giant under routine farm
feeding management in warm-humid environmental conditions of West
Bengal, India.
Materials
and
methods
This
investigation
was undertaken at the Rabbit Unit of the Department of Animal Science
of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West
Bengal, located at latitude 220 56/
N,
longitude 880 32/ E and
altitude 9.75 m above
MSL, in the warm-humid zone of India. The investigation was carried out under warm-humid conditions having average ambient temperature
ranging from 190C (min) to 310C
(max), relative
humidity 67% (min) to 96% (max) and the annual precipitation of 1837
mm (Table 1).
|
Table
1. Meteorological attributes during the
experimental period of three seasons (Mean ± SE)
|
| Season
|
Air
Temperature,
0C |
Relative
Humidity,
% |
Total
rainfall, mm |
No.
of rainy days |
|
Maximum
|
Minimum
|
Morning
|
Afternoon
|
|
Winter
(Nov - Feb) |
27.41
± 0.39 |
14.24
± 0.34 |
96.96
± 0.82 |
56.30
± 1.30 |
105.50
|
5.00
|
|
Summer
(Mar – Jun) |
33.76
± 0.21 |
23.45
± 0.34 |
94.02
± 0.41 |
64.46
± 1.71 |
467.35
|
25.50
|
|
Monsoon
(Jul – Oct) |
32.20
± 0.50 |
19.68
± 0.21 |
97.89
± 0.22 |
79.93
± 1.07 |
1264.50
|
55.50
|
The
animals were
maintained in galvanized iron wire cages having the specification of
183cm x 53.5cm x 46cm (for six animals) under standard management
practices.
The
weanling rabbits
were fed green roughages and concentrate feed in the form of wet mash
along with soaked gram. The wet mash and overnight soaked gram were
mixed together and offered in a feeding trough once daily in the
morning followed by greens given on the floor of the cages. The
greens were also offered in the afternoon. Water was supplied ad
libitum in the respective waterer (earthen pot) kept inside the cage.
The
green roughages
were given ad libitum. The greens were para grass (Brachiaria
mutica), clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) and dhub grass (Cynodon
dactylon), and small quantity of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and
subabul (Leucaena leucocephala) as per the availability. The soaked
gram was given at the rate of 30 g for each kit and the concentrate
feed in the form of wet mash was given at the rate of 50-80
g/head/day.
The
concentrate feed
mixture was prepared with different ingredients collected from the
local markets. The concentrate mixture was composed of ground maize
(48%), groundnut cake (solvent extracted) (10%), groundnut cake
(expeller variety) (10%), wheat bran (28%), fish meal (2%), mineral
mixture (Milkmin®) (1%) and common salt (1%).
The
crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, nitrogen-free-extract and
total ash contents of the concentrate feed were 20.8, 7.0, 3.4, 60.0
and 8.8 percent, respectively on DM basis.
Routine
prophylactic
and curative health cover was provided as per the standard schedule.
A total of ninety six animals (24 males and 24 females of each of the
two breeds, viz., Soviet Chinchilla and Grey Giant) aged between
3-3.5 months were randomly selected and slaughtered after 12 hours
fasting following the standard procedures (Newton and Penman 1990);
different carcass characteristics viz., live weight before and
after fasting, fasting loss, edible offal, inedible offal, dressing
yield, inedible-edible ratio and primal cut-up parts were studied.
Individual organ weights were also taken by mono-pan balance.
Meat
samples were
collected from male and female rabbits of each breed separately, and
were subjected to analysis of water, crude protein, ether extract
(fat) and mineral matters (AOAC 1980).
The
data generated
during the course of investigation were compiled and subjected to
statistical analysis as per the standard methods (Snedecor and
Cochran 1967).
Results
and
discussion
The
average
meteorological attributes in respect of three principal seasons,
viz., winter (November-February), summer (March-June) and monsoon
(July-October) during the period of investigation are presented in
Table 1. The information furnished on meteorology indicated that the
overall environment of the study area was warm and humid.
Carcass
characteristics, viz., live weight before fasting and at slaughter,
fasting loss, edible parts, inedible parts, edible-inedible ratio,
dressing yield in males and females of Soviet Chinchilla and Grey
Giant rabbits are presented in Table 2.
|
Table
2. Carcass characteristics of broiler rabbits (Mean
± SE)
|
|
Parameters
|
Soviet
Chinchilla |
Grey Giant
|
|
Male |
Female
|
Overall
|
Male
|
Female
|
Overall
|
|
Live
weight before fasting, g |
2188 ±161 |
2319±214 |
2253 ± 128 |
2267 ± 195 |
2273 ± 284 |
2270 ± 164 |
|
Live
weight at slaughter, g (Fasted pre-slaughter weight)
|
2129 ± 156 |
2270 ± 213 |
2200 ± 127 |
2218 ± 194 |
2218 ± 280 |
2218 ± 163 |
|
Fasting
loss, g |
58.3±5.87
(2.65±0.13)
|
49.2 ± 2.01
(2.25±0.21)
|
48.8 ± 1.75
(2.45±0.13)
|
48.3 ± 3.07
(2.26±0.20)
|
55.0 ± 5.00
(2.63±0.28)
|
51.7 ± 2.97
(2.44±0.17)
|
|
Weight
after bleeding, g |
2066 ± 151 |
2203 ± 206 |
2135 ± 123 |
2154 ± 187 |
2158 ± 272 |
2156 ± 158 |
|
Edible
parts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hot
carcass, g |
1012 ± 72.1
(47.6±0.22)
|
1070 ± 114
(46.9±0.92)
|
1041 ± 64.9
(47.2±0.46)
|
1083 ± 96,0
(48.9±1.34)
|
1050 ± 138
(47.1±0.68)
|
1067 ± 80.1
(48.0±0.76)
|
|
Giblet
– liver, heart and kidneys, g |
81.0 ± 7.69
(3.77±0.11)
|
87.8 ± 8.41
(3.89±0.15)
|
84.4 ± 5.53
(3.83±0.09)
|
84.8 ± 5.64
(3.88±0.16)
|
89.5 ± 7.65
(4.28±0.47)
|
87.0 ± 4.58
(4.08±0.25)
|
|
Dressed
head, g |
127 ± 5.02
(6.07±0.33)
|
147 ± 16.2
(6.70±0.92)
|
137 ± 8.65
(6.38±0.48)
|
143 ± 13.5
(6.49±0.29)
|
134 ± 11.8
(6.27±0.36)
|
139 ± 8.65
(6.38±0.22)
|
|
Total
edible parts, g |
1220 ± 83.4
(57.4±0.33)
|
1305 ± 122
(57.5±0.47)
|
1262 ± 71.5
(57.4±0.27)
|
1311± 113
(57.3±2.13)
|
1274 ± 155
(57.7±0.61)
|
1292 ± 91.7
(57.5±1.06)
|
|
Dressing
yield |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carcass,
% |
47.6
± 0.22
|
46.9
± 0.92
|
47.2
± 0.46
|
48.9
± 1.34
|
47.1
± 0.68
|
48.0
± 0.76
|
|
Carcass
with giblet, % |
51.9
± 0.90
|
50.8
± 0.88
|
51.4
± 0.62
|
52.8
± 1.44
|
51.4
± 0.43
|
52.1
± 0.74
|
|
Carcass
with giblet and dressed head, % |
57.1
± 0.25
|
57.5
± 0.33
|
57.3
± 0.26
|
59.3
± 1.59
|
57.7
± 0.61
|
58.5
± 0.85
|
|
Inedible
parts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blood,
g |
63.2 ± 4.29
(2.97±0.05)
|
67.0 ± 7.17
(2.85±0.12)
|
65.1 ± 4.03
(2.91±0.06)
|
63.9 ± 6.90
(2.8
±0.08) |
60.5 ± 8.29
(2.70±0.07)
|
62.2 ± 5.17
(2.78±0.05)
|
|
Pelt,
g |
179 ± 14.4
(8.37±0.10)
|
205 ± 20.9
(9.03±0.42)
|
192 ± 12.7
(8.70±0.23)
|
214 ± 27.6
(9.47±0.56)
|
195 ± 24.3
(8.93±0.46)
|
205 ± 17.7
(9.20±0.35)
|
|
Feet
and tail, g |
80.0 ± 1.50
(3.88±0.34)
|
89.5± 3.07
(4.12±0.42)
|
84.8 ± 2.17
(4.00±0.26)
|
92.7 ± 4.64
(4.31±0.34)
|
82.8 ± 4.38
(4.17±0.70)
|
87.8 ± 3.39
(4.24±0.37)
|
|
Spleen,
g |
1.67 ± 0.25
(0.08±0.01)
|
2.33 ± 0.36
(0.11±0.01)
|
2.00 ± 0.23
(0.09±0.01)
|
1.83 ± 0.10
(0.08±0.002)
|
1.75 ± 0.33
(0.08±0.01)
|
1.79 ± 0.17
(0.08±0.004)
|
|
Lungs
and trachea, g |
17.5 ± 1.67
(0.82±0.03)
|
18.3 ± 2.20
(0.80±0.04)
|
17.9 ± 1.32
(0.81±0.02)
|
14.8 ± 1.25
(0.67±
0.23) |
18.3 ± 1.82
(0.86±0.08)
|
16.6 ± 1.18
(0.77
± 0.05) |
|
G.I.
tract full, g |
249 ± 27.2
(11.5±0.64)
|
255 ± 15.7
(11.4±0.39)
|
252 ± 15.0
(11.5±
.36) |
268 ± 11.3
(12.5±
0.90) |
245 ± 18.17
(11.7±1.00)
|
257 ± 10.8
(12.1±
0.65) |
|
Inedible
parts of head, g |
74.8 ± 4.85
(3.54±0.11)
|
88.83± 12.8
(3.84±
.22) |
81.8 ± 6.84
(3.69±
.13) |
76.2 ± 7.89
(3.41
± 0.18) |
72.3 ± 9.70
(3.30±0.22)
|
74.3 ± 5.99
(3.35±
0.14) |
|
Total
inedible parts, g |
675 ± 44.8
(31.8±0.38)
|
726 ± 57.2
(32.2±0.69)
|
703 ± 34.1
(32.0±0.38)
|
732 ± 55.2
(33.3±0.92)
|
673± 57.4
(31.6±2.05)
|
702± 39.0
(32.4±
.10) |
|
Inedible
: edible |
1
: 1.82 ± 0.02
|
1
: 1.79 ± 0.04
|
1
: 1.80 ± 0.02
|
1
: 1.79 ± 0.08
|
1
: 1.86 ± 0.10
|
1
: 1.82 ± 0.06
|
|
Figures
in the parenthesis indicate percentage of fasted pre-slaughter weight
in all cases except fasting loss where the figures indicate percentage
of live weight before fasting
|
The
overall mean
values of live weight before fasting and at slaughter, and fasting
loss of the two breeds of rabbits were found to be 2262, 2209 and
52.7 g, respectively. (The coefficients of variation for these
traits were 23.6, 23.9 and 19.8 percent, respectively). The sex-wise
mean values of these traits were 2227, 2174 and 53.3 g in male and
2296, 2241 and 52.1 g in female rabbits, respectively. Statistically
breed and sex had no significant effect on these traits. Zelnik and
Rafay (1986) recorded the average slaughter weight of 2200 and 2225 g
in Californian White and New Zealand White rabbits, respectively.
Salroo et al (1989) reported the average slaughter weight in Soviet
Chinchilla fryers at 12 weeks of age as 1.72 kg. The body weight at
slaughter of this investigation was higher than the report of Salroo
et al (1989), which might be due to the differences in age groups of
the animals slaughtered.
The
overall mean
values of hot carcass, giblet, dressed head and total edible parts of
rabbit carcass were found to be 1055, 138 and 1277 g, respectively.
(The coefficients of variation for these traits were 25.0, 21.2, 22,0
and 23.2 percent, respectively). The sex-wise mean values of these
traits were 1048, 82.9, 135 and 1266 g in male and 1060, 88.7, 140
and 1289 g in female rabbits, respectively. The effects of breed and
sex on these traits were non-significant.
Salroo
et al (1989)
reported lower hot carcass weight of 780 g in Soviet Chinchilla
fryers at 12 weeks of age. Fennell et al (1990) stated a similar
value of 1406 g but in New Zealand White rabbits.
The
overall mean
value of total inedible parts of rabbit carcass was found to be
701.4 g (CV = 18.8%) which was 32.2% of the live weight at
slaughter (Table 2). The sex-wise mean values of this trait were
703 and 699 g in male and female rabbits, respectively. There
was no significant difference between the sexes and breeds for this
trait. Salroo et al (1989) reported that the non-edible offal of
carcass averaged 816 ± 16.7 g in Soviet Chinchilla rabbits
slaughtered at 12 weeks of age.
The
overall mean
ratio of inedible and edible parts of rabbit carcass was 1:1.81. The
sex-wise ratios were 1: 1.80 and 1: 1.82 in male and female rabbits,
respectively. However, this marginal difference was statistically
non-significant. The effect of breed on this trait was also
non-significant.
The
overall mean
values of dressing yield in respect to hot carcass, hot carcass plus
giblet, and hot-carcass plus giblet and dressed head of the two
breeds of rabbits were found to be 47.6, 51.7 and 57.9%,
respectively. (The coefficients of variation for these traits were
4.56, 4.63 and 3.77 percent, respectively). The dressing yields were
more in Grey Giant than Soviet Chinchilla. The corresponding figures
in the two breeds were 48.0 and 47.2%, 52.1 and 51.4% and 58.5
and 57.3%, respectively. However, these differences were
statistically non-significant. The dressing yields were more in male
than female rabbits. The corresponding figures were 48.2 and
47.0%, 52.4 and 51.1% and 58.20 and 57.6%, respectively, in the
male and female rabbits. However, these variations were also
statistically non-significant.
The
present findings
are in close conformity with the findings of Salroo et al (1989) in
Soviet Chinchilla rabbits (45.1% carcass yield), Singh et al (1999)
in Soviet Chinchilla rabbits (47.8% carcass yield), and Sen and
Bhagwan (1999) in White Giant and Soviet Chinchilla rabbits (50.4 to
56.2% dressing yield considering hot carcass weight plus giblet
weight). Higher carcass yield in males than females, as observed in
the present investigation, was also reported by Sen and Bhagwan
(1999), though significant influence (P<0.05) of sex on this
trait
was seen in their observation. Other carcass traits were not too
much varied in males and females of White Giant and Soviet Chinchilla
in the report of Sen and Bhagwan (1999) which supported the present
investigation. Singh (1997) reported that differences in the carcass
quality traits were not significant among different breeds of
rabbits.
The
average values
of four primal cut-up parts in males and females of Soviet Chinchilla
and Grey Giant rabbits are presented in Table 3.
|
Table
3. Primal cut-up parts of rabbit carcass (Mean ±
SE)
|
| Traits
|
Soviet Chinchilla
|
Grey Giant
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Overall
|
Male
|
Female
|
Overall
|
| Hot
carcass weight, g |
1012
± 72.1
|
1070
± 114
|
1041
±
64.9 |
1083
± 96,0 |
1050
± 137
|
1067
± 80.1
|
| Cut-up
parts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Two
shoulders, g |
149 ± 10.8
(14.7±0.12)
|
151±16.91
(14.1±0.25)
|
150 ± 9.58
(14.4±0.16)
|
161 ± 18.8
(14.7±0.53)
|
149 ± 19.2
(14.3±0.16)
|
155 ± 12.9
(14.5±0.27)
|
|
Thorax,
g |
221±12.8
(22.0±0.49)
|
227±21.7
(21.4±0.78)
|
224 ± 12.1
(21.7±0.45)
|
215 ± 20.3
(19.7±0.18)
|
224 ± 25.3
(21.8±0.88)
|
219 ± 15.5
(20.8±0.53)
|
|
Loin,
g |
321±27.43
(31.5±0.69)
|
319±36.32
(29.8±1.32)
|
320 ± 21.7
(30.7±0.76)
|
356 ± 24.0
(33.3±1.01)
|
312 ± 40.1
(29.7±1.44)
|
334 ± 23.3
(31.5±0.99)
|
|
Two
legs, g |
313±23.8
(31,0±0.79)
|
364 ± 43.1
(33.9±1.28)
|
339 ± 24.7
(32.4±0.84)
|
344 ± 35.0
(31.6±0.71)
|
352.2 ±54.7
(33,0±1.16)
|
348 ± 31,0
(32.3±0.68)
|
|
Cutting
loss, g |
8.50 ± 0.56
(0.88±0.11)
|
9.50±0.56
(0.91±0.05)
|
9.00 ± 0.41
(0.89±
0.06) |
7.83± 0.54
(0.76±0.09)
|
13.0 ± 2.94
(1.31±0.26)
|
10.4 ±1.63
(1.03±0.16)
|
|
Figures
in the parenthesis indicate percentage of hot carcass weight
|
The
overall mean
values of different cuts were: two shoulders 152 g (14.4%),
thorax 222 g (21.0%), loin 327 g (31.0%) and two legs 343
g (32.3%) based on hot carcass weight. (The coefficients of
variation for these traits were found to be 26.9, 22.7, 24.5 and
29.1 percent, respectively). Breed and sex did not seem to affect
the relative weights of different physical cuts. The present findings
are in close agreement with the findings of Salroo et al (1989) and
Farghaly and El-Mahdy (1999). Non-significant effect of sex on
different physical cuts of rabbit carcass was also observed by Sen
and Bhagwan (1999).
Overall
mean cutting
loss of 9.71 g (0.97% of the hot carcass weight) was observed in this
study (Table 3). Breed and sex had no significant effect on this
trait. The present finding was much lower than the report of Salroo
et al (1989) who recorded 6.04% cutting loss in Soviet Chinchilla
rabbit.
Different
organ
weights in males and females of Soviet Chinchilla and Grey Giant
rabbits are presented in Table 4.
|
Table
4. Organ weights in relation to body size in
broiler rabbits (Mean ± SE)
|
| Organs
|
Soviet Chinchilla
|
Grey Giant
|
| |
Male
|
Female
|
Overall
|
Male
|
Female
|
Overall
|
| Body,
g |
2129±156
(100)
|
2270± 213
(100)
|
2200 ± 127
(100)
|
2218 ± 194
(100)
|
2218± 280
(100)
|
2218 ± 163
(100)
|
| Head,
g |
202 ± 9.66
(9.60
± 0.42) |
236 ± 22.1
(10.54±0.93)
|
219 ± 12.6
(10.07±0.51)
|
219± 19.4
(9.90±
0.25) |
206 ± 20.7
(9.57±
0.48) |
213 ± 13.7
(9.73
± 0.26) |
| Liver,
g |
58.5 ± 5.55
(2.72
± 0.08) |
64.7 ± 7.31
(2.85
± 0.16) |
61.6 ± 4.48
(2.79
± 0.09) |
63.0± 4.52
(2.87±
0.13) |
67.7 ± 6.12
(3.26±0.39)
|
65.3 ± 3.70
(3.07±
0.20) |
| Kidney,
g |
16.0 ± 1.53
(0.75
± 0.02) |
16.2 ± 1.12
(0.72
± 0.02) |
16.1 ± 0.90
(0.73
± 0.02) |
15.2 ± 0.98
(0.70±0.04)
|
15.5 ± 1.36
(0.73±
0.06) |
15.3 ± 0.80
(0.71±
0.03) |
| Heart
|
6.50 ± 0.62
(0.30
± 0.01) |
7.00 ± 0.52
(0.32
± 0.02) |
6.75 ± 0.39
(0.31
± 0.29) |
6.67 ± 0.49
(0.31±0.02)
|
6.33 ± 0.49
(0.31±0.04)
|
6.50 ± 0.34
(0.31
± 0.02) |
| Spleen,
g |
1.67 ± 0.25
(0.08
± 0.01) |
2.33 ± 0.36
(0.11
± 0.01) |
2.00 ± 0.23
(0.09
± 0.01) |
1.83 ± 0.10
(0.08±0.002)
|
1.75 ± 0.33
(0.08±
.01) |
1.79 ± 0.17
(0.08±0.004)
|
| Lungs
with trachea, g |
17.5 ± 1.67
(0.82±
0.03) |
18.3 ± 2.20
(0.80±
0.04) |
17.9 ± 1.32
(0.81±
0.02) |
14.8 ± 1.25
(0.67
0.23) |
18.3 ± 1.82
(0.86±
0.08) |
16.6 ± 1.18
(0.77±
0.05) |
| G.I.
tract full, g |
249 ± 27.19
(11.5±
0.64) |
255 ± 15.74
(11.4±
0.39) |
252 ± 15.00
(11.5±
0.36) |
269 ± 11.3
(12.5±
0.90) |
245 ± 18.1
(11.7±
1.00) |
257 ± 10.8
(12.1±
0.65) |
|
Figures
in the parenthesis indicate percentage of body weight
|
The
overall mean
values of different organ weights of the two breeds of broiler
rabbits were : head 216 g (9.90%), liver 63.5 g (2.93%), kidneys
15.7 g (0.72%), heart 6.63 g (0.31%), spleen 1.90 g (0.09%), lungs
with trachea 17.3 g (0.79%) and G.I. tract full 254 g (11.8%)
based on the fasted pre-slaughter body weight. (The coefficients of
variation for these traits were 21.1, 23.0, 19.7, 19.7, 36.1,
25.1 and 18.3 percent, respectively).There was no significant
difference in organ weights in male and female rabbits. The effect
of breed on these traits was also non-significant.
The
results obtained
in this investigation are in close conformity with the results
reported by Sen and Bhagwan (1999) and Farghaly and El-Mahdy (1999).
Sen and Bhagwan (1999) recorded non-significant effect of sex on
these traits except alimentary canal and its contents, which
comprised 16.4-22.8% of the body weight and significantly more
(P<0.05) in females. However, the reported value of Sen and
Bhagwan (1999) was higher than that of others (Rao et al 1978; Nofal
et al 1995). Farghaly and El-Mahdy (1999) also recorded
non-significant effect of sex on different organ weights except liver
weight which was significantly more (P<0.01) in females than
males.
The
chemical
composition of meat in terms of water, crude protein, fat and
minerals of meats in males and females of Soviet Chinchilla and Grey
Giant rabbits are presented in Table 5.
|
Table
5. Chemical composition of rabbit meat (on DM
basis)
|
| Nutrient,
% |
Soviet
Chinchilla |
Grey Giant
|
|
Male |
Female
|
Overall
|
Male
|
Female
|
Overall
|
| Water
|
69.5 ± 1.34 |
69.7 ± 1.17 |
69.6 ± 0.85 |
69.8± 1.51 |
70.2 ± 1.49 |
70.0 ± 1.02 |
| Crude
protein |
20.7 ± 0.81 |
20.1 ± 0.76 |
20.4 ± 0.54 |
20.5 ± 1.06 |
20.0 ± 1.12 |
20.3 ± 0.74 |
| Fat
(crude) |
7.92 ± 0.44 |
8.25 ± 0.44 |
8.08 ± 0.30 |
7.75 ± 0.44 |
7.87 ± 0.42 |
7.81 ± 0.29 |
|
Minerals
|
1.04 ± 0.11 |
1.11 ± 0.11 |
1.08 ± 0.07 |
0.91 ± 0.07 |
0.96 ± 0.09 |
0.93 ± 0.06 |
Overall
mean values
of meat chemical composition of the broiler rabbits on DM basis were:
water 69.8%, crude protein 20.2%, fat (crude) 7.95% and minerals
1.00%. (The coefficients of variation for these traits were found to
be 4.86, 11.3, 13.4 and 24.07 percent, respectively).
There
was no
significant difference in the meat chemical composition in male and
female rabbits. The effect of breed on these traits was also
non-significant. The present findings are in close accordance with
the reports of Singh (1997a)
and
Chakrabarti et al (1999). The rabbit meat is high in protein and low
in fat than those of common meat sources like chicken (20.0 and
11.2%), lamb (15.7 and 14.0%) and pork (11.9 and 45.0%) as per the
report of Singh (1997a).
Conclusions
- The
dressing yield
was more in Grey Giant than Soviet Chinchilla maintained under
warm-humid conditions of West Bengal, India. The dressing yield was
more in male than female rabbits irrespective of breed effects.
However, these variations were statistically non-significant.
- The
rabbit meat is
high in protein (20.24%) and low in fat (7.95%) than those of common
meat sources like chicken, lamb and pork.
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Received 15 May 2007; Accepted 16 June 2008; Published 4 September 2008
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