Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the meat quality of Jiudingshan chicken(Gus gallus) in order to provide a basis for breeding and meat processing. The meat compositions including protein, fat, water, ash and mineral substances as well as amino acids in leg muscles and breast muscles of 5, 6, and 7-month-age groups (12 chickens each group, half male and half female )of Jiudingshan chicken and fattening green feet chicken group (12 chickens, half male and half female ) were analyzed by GB (Chinese national standards) methods. Except water, fat, Cu and P, the contents of the other compositions in leg muscles of Jiudingshan chicken all were significantly changed with different month ages (P < 0.05). The contents of crude protein, ash, Zn and Fe were highest in the five-month-old group (P < 0.01 or < 0.05). Except water, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn, the contents of the other compositions in breast muscles all were different significantly (P < 0.05) among Jiudingshan chickens of different month ages. The contents of crude protein and ash were highest in the five-month-old chicken group (P < 0.01 or < 0.05). Except Zn, Mn, Cys, Phe and His, there were no significant differences in the other compositions between different sex groups (P > 0.05). There were significant differences between leg muscles of Jiudingshan chicken and fattening green feet chicken in all the other compositions except water, P and Cu (P < 0.01), in which, the content of crude protein in the former of all the month ages was higher than that in the latter (P < 0.01), but the content of crude fat was reverse. Except water, P, Fe, Mn and Zn, the contents of the other compositions in breast muscle of both the two chicken breeds were different (P < 0.01) and the content of crude protein was the highest in the five-month-old group of Jiudingshan chicken. In conclusion, the contents of crude protein, crude fat, Zn and Fe in Jiudingshan chicken are higher than those in green feet chicken and there are no significant differences in the contents of meat compositions between different sex chickens and the optimal fattening time of Jiudingshan chicken is five months.

Key words: Jiudingshan chicken, green feet chicken, breast muscle, leg muscle, meat composition