Delayed access to feed and water in fast and slower growing hatchery hatched broiler chicks: Effects on meat quality parameters

Good health and welfare are essential components of responsible broiler production and crucial for their resilience and performance. While it is well-documented that early nutrition can influence broiler development, the effects of delayed access to both feed and water post-hatch on meat quality parameters remain underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of three distinct feed and water deprivation periods post-hatch on meat quality parameters at slaughter.
A total of 960 Ross 308 and 960 Hubbard Redbro broilers were hatched and randomly allocated in the hatcher to three treatment groups: T0 with immediate access to feed and water post-hatch, T1 with feed and water access 24 hours post-hatch, and T2 with feed and water access 48 hours post-hatch. All chicks were pulled from the hatcher 48 h after the first chick hatched and were subsequently reared under conventional practices, with separate compartments per strain to ensure appropriate environmental conditions and a strain specific three phase feeding program. Slaughter yield, breast fillet – thigh and drumstick percentages, meat colour, thawing and cooking loss, drip loss, shear force and pH, were measured at slaughter. Breast muscle myopathies (wooden breast and white striping) were scored for prevalence and severity.
Data analysis (Mixed Model SAS) indicated significant effects (p  < 0.05) of post-hatch feed and water deprivation (PHFWD) on live bodyweight (BW) at slaughter and several meat yield and quality traits in the fast-growing Ross 308 breed, whereas no significant effects were observed in the slower-growing Hubbard Redbro. In Ross 308 broilers, live body weight (BW) at slaughter was 2.85 kg in T0 (p = 0.011 vs T2), 2.79 kg in T1 (p = 0.045 vs T2), and 2.54 kg in T2. Breast fillet percentage was significantly higher in T0 broilers (34.01%) compared to broilers from the T2 (32.01%, p = 0.015) group. Conversely, thigh and drumstick percentages were significantly lower in the T0 group (26.72% and 12.97%, respectively) compared to the T2 group (27.71% and 13.52%, respectively, p = 0.018 and p = 0.037). Drip loss was significantly higher in the T0 group compared to the T2 group (0.64 g vs 0.45 g, p = 0.025). A significant overall effect of PHFWD was observed for wooden breast (p = 0.047), with the highest prevalence found in the T0 group. For white striping, there was a trend towards significance (p = 0.064), also with the highest prevalence in T0. In addition, a significant difference in L* value (lightness) from the CIE Lab colour system was found in the breast fillet, with the T0 group displaying a significantly higher L* value compared to the T2 group (p = 0.017). Higher cooking loss was observed in the T0 group compared to the T2 group (26.29% vs 24.71%, p = 0.039). Shear force of the breast fillet after cooking tended to be the highest in the T0 group (6.48N) compared to T2 (5.76N, p = 0.069). No differences between treatments were found in pH.
In conclusion, a 48-hour post-hatch feed and water deprivation significantly improved meat yield but negatively affected meat quality in Ross 308 broilers, whereas no such effects were observed in the slower-growing Hubbard Redbro broilers.