Abstract
The effects of stocking density on slaughter performance and meat quality were primarily investigated in this research. A total of 240 Pekin ducks were used, and they were reared until slaughter age (42 d) in three different stocking density groups (three, five and seven ducklings m -2 ). To compare the slaughter performance of the ducklings' live weight, carcass weight, carcass yield, thigh and breast meat weight and yield, and edible giblet weight (heart, liver and gizzard) were investigated. The meat quality was compared between the treatment groups based on dry matter ratio, cooking loss, water-holding capacity, pH values, and colour parameters ( L , a , b , c , h and ΔE values). Carcass weight, carcass yield, thigh and breast meat weight were found to decrease in parallel to the increasing stocking density, resulting in a reduction in thigh and breast meat weights and ratios ( P < 0.05 ). Increasing the stocking density decreased the heart weight and positively improved the liver and gizzard ratio ( P < 0.05 ). However, it did not affect the meat quality parameters investigated in this research ( P < 0.05 ). The breast meat of the ducks reared under higher stocking density had higher L , h and ΔE values, lower a value ( P < 0.05 ), and similar b and c values ( P < 0.05 ). Evaluating the overall research findings, it was concluded that increased stocking density when rearing ducks negatively affects the slaughter performance, affecting only breast meat colour and weight of thigh meat with skin in investigated meat quality parameters.