Abstract

CORI, Marta E et al. Effect of slaughter age of quail and the electrical stunning on some characteristics of the carcass. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.2, pp.175-185. ISSN 0798-7269.

In order to evaluate the effect of the slaughter age of quail and the electrical stunning on some characteristics of the carcass, an electrical stunning system was designed and implemented with 117 V AC, 17 mA, 60 Hz during 4 s. As a result, appropriate stunning of the animals was achieved, showing the signs of electroplectic shock in the birds, absence of fractures in carcasses and a recovery time between 2 and 3 minutes. Male quails of 28-31, 42-45, and 56-59 days were slaughtered with and without the application of electrical stunning. It was observed that with age there was an increase in live weight (109.8 to 127.9 g), cold carcass yield (73.1 to 75.6%) and weight of the carcass meat (31.0 to 38.4 g) from 28-31 to the 42-45 days, but age did not influence other variables such as carcass water absorption and proportion of meat of the carcass. Results indicate that slaughter of quails is appropriate at 42-45 days, since it enables the producer to obtain profits while satisfying consumer’s expectations, with the application of the electrical stunning to guarantee the animal’s welfare without being detrimental to the characteristics of the carcass.

Keywords : quail; electrical stunning; age; carcass; slaughtering.

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