Carcass composition and selected meat quality traits of Pekin ducks from genetic resources flocks

The aim of the study was to compare P33 (Polish Pekin), P8 (Danish Pekin), and P9 ducks (French Pekin) for body weight, dressing percentage, carcass composition, and selected meat quality traits. A total of 180 ducks, 30 males and 30 females of each strain, were kept indoors on deep litter and fed complete commercial diets ad libitum. At the end of 8 wk, the ducks were weighed and 7 males and 7 females of each strain (42 birds in total) were slaughtered and dissected. The pH and electrical conductivity of breast and leg muscles were determined 24 h postmortem. After dissection, samples of breast and leg muscles were collected to determine of selected meat quality characteristics. At the age of 8 wk, P8 ducks had significantly higher body weight and carcass weight compared to P9 and P33 birds. The carcasses of P8 ducks contained significantly more breast muscles compared to the carcasses of P9 birds. The proportion of abdominal fat was higher in P8 and P9 ducks than in P33 ducks. Regardless of the genetic origin, males had a significantly lower percentage of breast muscles and a higher proportion of neck in the carcass compared to females. P33, P8, and P9 ducks exhibited significant differences in the sodium and magnesium content of breast muscles and in the sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium content of leg muscles. Male breast muscles contained more sodium, and their leg muscles had a lower potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron content compared to females. The breast and leg muscles of P9 ducks exhibited lower electrical conductivity (EC24) compared to P8 and P33 ducks, while the breast muscles of P9 ducks had a significantly higher cooking loss. The strains of ducks under study differed in lightness (L*) and redness (a*), and in hardness, chewiness and gumminess of pectoralis major muscle. Females showed higher hardness and chewiness of breast muscles compared to males.