| dc.description.abstract | The age of the fowl has great influence on the dressing percentage loss in poultry meatproduction, The ideal age would be at average which producing the smallest dressing loss, highefficiency and good quality of carcass. A study was conducted to find information about thepercentage of edible and non edible parts of Mule ducks at different ages. The study wasconducted in March 2001, at the Laboratory of Poultry Production, Faculty of AnimalHusbandry Bogor Agricultural University. The study used Mule ducks at the ages of 6, 8, 10and 12 weeks, 15 birds each. Three birds were sacrificed at each age of slaughtering regardlessof sex. . The ducks were fed the same diet (BR 1 Super). The variables observed were atslaughter weights, blood, feathers, non edible parts (head, legs, intestines, abdominal fat),
giblet (liver, heart, spleen, gizzard and neck) and carcass weight. The collected data wereanalyzed using analysis of variance. At the ages of 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks , the Mule duck'sweight respectively were 1.200,3 t 284,0 8;1.425,4 t 293,8 g; 1 .647,6 t 284,6 g and 1.922,0 t 284,6g. The carcass weight in the same order of age were 680,2 t 122,7 g; 808,6 t 198,1 g; 1.030,8 t189,4 g and 1.214,8 t 75,9 g, or 57,4 ± 3,4%; 61,6 ± 3,2%; 62,5 ± 2,3% and 63,2 ± 1,1% of liveweight. The carcass percentage at 6 weeks of age differed significantly from the other ages, but
no difference was found between the ages of 8, 10 and 12 weeks. The giblet percentage at theages of 6, 8, 10 and 12 week were 16,3 t 2,1%; 15,4 ± 1,3'%; 15,4 ± 1,3% and 14,6 ± 1,1%. The influence of age on giblet percentage was not significant . The non edible percentage at the agesof 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks were 27,8 t5,3%; 22,3 ± 2,3%; 22,0 ± 0,7% and 20,4 t 1,0%. 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. | id |
