Effect of soft and moderately hard water intake on meat quality characteristics of broiler chickens

Abstract

A Fifty-six days experiment was conducted to evaluate the “ Effects of soft and moderately hard water intake on meat quality characteristics of broiler chickens” . Three hundred (300) day old broiler chickens of Hubbard breed were used The chickens were randomly allolled to two (2) trealment groups. Group one are chickens administered soft water (SW) and group two are chickens administered moderately hard water (MHW). Each treatment had six replicates wilh twenty-five (25) birds per replicate. Feed and water were provided ad libitun. Data were collected on carcass cut-up parls and visceral organs, breast meat quality characteristics and breast meat proximate composition. The percentage cut-up parts and visceral organ charucteristics were significantly (P<0.05) diferent. Breast meat qualily characteristics was also significantly (p<0.05) different in cold breast meat water holding capucity. Breast meat proximate composilion values were also significantly diferent in the ether extract. MHW can replace SW without any adverse etlect on meat quality characteristics of broiler chickens