| dc.description.abstract | The age of the fowl has great influence on the dressing percentage loss in poultry meat production, The ideal age would be at average which producing the smallest dressing loss, high efficiency and good quality of carcass. A study was conducted to find information about the percentage of edible and non edible parts of Mule ducks at different ages. The study was conducted in March 2001, at the Laboratory of Poultry Production, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Bogor Agricultural University. The study used Mule ducks at t~c ages of 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks, 15 birds each. Three birds werc sacrificed at each age of Slaughtering regardless of sex .. The ducks were fed the same diet (BR 1 Super). The variables observed were at slaughter weights, blood, feathers, non edible parts (head, legs, intestines, abdominal fat), giblet (liver, heart, spleen, gizzard and neck) and carcass weight. The collected data were analyzed using analysis of variance. At the ages of 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks, the Mule duck's weight respectively were 1.200,3 ± 284,0 g; 1.425,4 ± 293,8 g: 1.647,6 ± 284,6 g and 1.922,0 ± i.84,6 g. The carcass weight in the same order of age were 680,2 ± 122,.7 g: 808,6 ± 198,1 g; 1.030,8 ± 189,4 g and 1.214,8 ± 75,9 g, or 57A ± 3,4IX.; 61,6 ± 3,2IYiI; 62,5 ± 2,3% and 63,2 ± 1,1% of live weight. The carcass percentage at 6 weeks of age differed significantly from the other ages, but no difference was found bem'een the ages of 8, 10 and 12 weeks. The giblet percentage at the ages of 6, 8, 10 and 12 week were 16,3 ± 2,1 IYu; 15,4 ± 1,3IYi.; 15,4 ± 1,3%1 and 14,6 ± 1,1%1. The influence of age on giblet percentage was not significant. The non edible percentage at the ages of 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks were 27,8 ± 5,3%; 22,.3 ± 2,31;1,1; 22,0 ± 0,7% and 20,4 ± 1,0'\li .. The giblet percentage at 6 weeks old was significantly higher compared to the other ages, while differences between the last three ages were not significant. It is recommended that mule ducks are Slaughtered at the ages, 10 and 12 weeks as at 8 weeks of age the feathers were not fully developed. Keywords: Mule duck, carcass | id |
