PSVIII-10 - Genetic parameter estimates of postmortem muscle activity in purebred male turkeys (Meleagris gallopovo)

Abstract: The poultry processing sector plays a critical role in fulfilling the global demand for high-quality protein sources and turkey meat is a significant contributor to that market. During poultry slaughter, wing flapping and body movement may occur, primarily driven by the large breast muscles (Pectoralis major and minor). This postmortem muscular activity may have an impact on meat quality attributes such as drip loss, shear force, and breast meat colour, and this can influence consumer satisfaction and the marketability of poultry products. The objective of this study was to use an animal model to estimate genetic parameters for postmortem muscle activity in turkeys during slaughter at a commercial poultry processing plant. A dataset including observations from 4,899 male turkeys was collected between June 2018 and November 2019, with a pedigree comprising 25,081 individuals from six purebred genetic lines. An animal model including the fixed effects genetic line, age, hatch week-year, and live weight was implemented into ASReml 4.2. Postmortem muscle activity was scored by a single observer using a 1-4 categorical scale, where score 1 represents none to minimal muscle quivering, score 2 represents mild wing flapping, score 3 represents moderate spasmodic body movement and curled body posture, and score 4 represents severe wing flapping and full body movement. Heritability for postmortem wing flapping activity was low and estimated to be 0.06 ± 0.022. Further research is needed to evaluate the best model for this trait and estimate genetic correlations with other economically important traits. This study represents a first step toward improving meat quality through the investigation of postmortem muscle activity.