Two experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of caponization on skin pigmentation. Male broiler chicks were divided into caponized, sham-operated, and intact treatment groups with ...surgery performed at 3 weeks of age (Experiment 1) or 1 week of age (Experiment 2). All chicks were provided with corn-soy broiler diets ad libitum. In Experiment 2, an additional 37.4 mg of total xanthophyll was added per kilogram of finisher diet. At 7 weeks of age, birds were processed, comb size was scored, and the gonadal area was examined to identify partially caponized or improperly sexed birds. Caponized, sham-operated, and intact carcasses for analysis totaled, respectively, 28, 25, and 18 in Experiment 1 and 59, 33, and 30 in Experiment 2. Skin pigmentation was measured by reflectance colorimetry on the anterior portion of the lateral feather tract, on the same area of breast skin after removal from the carcass, and on shank skin removed from the leg. No differences were found in skin lightness (L), redness (a), or yellowness (b) between the treatment groups. These results indicate that pigmentation differences between male and female broilers are not likely to be due to differences in testicular activity.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Se utilizaron pollitos machos de las razas Catalana del Prat Leonada (PL) y New Hampshire, (NH) los cuales se sometieron a castración quirúrgica por torsión a las 8 semanas de edad. Las aves ...castradas y testigos se alojaron en jaulas de reemplazo ligero hasta las 14 semanas de edad y posteriormente fueron trasladadas a jaulas de machos adultos hasta las 24 semanas. El peso vivo obtenido en los capones NH (2,2 kg) no difirió del testigo. En la raza PL este índice con los capones (1,2 kg) fue superior al testigo en 195g y matemáticamente tampoco difirió. En las dos razas el peso vivo registrado se comportó según sus estándares. Los altos porcentajes registrados en gallos regenerados se debieron fundamentalmente a la poca experiencia y falta de práctica del personal que realizó la castración quirúrgica.
Male chickens of the Catalana del Prat Leonada (PL) and New Hampshire (NH) breeder were used which were subjected to surgical castration by torsion at 8 weeks of age. The castred and control birds were kept in light-weight replacement cages until they were 14 weeks old, and were later on transferred to cages of adult male cocks until 24 weeks of age. The live weight obtained in the castrated NH chickens (2.2 kg) did not differ from that of the controls. In the PL breed the ratio of the castrated chickens (1.2 kg) was higher than in the control by 195g, and mathematically it did not differ either. In the two breeds, the registered live weight behaved according to its standards. The high registered percentages in regenerated cocks were mainly due to the little experience and lack of practice of the personnel who carried out the surgical castration.
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