The use of partially slatted floor designs as an alternative to littered systems in broiler chickens. I. The effects on the performance, slaughter and carcass traits.

In this study, the effects of fully littered, slatted and their varying combinations on growth, performance, carcass and meat quality characteristics in broiler chickens were investigated. In the experiment, five treatment groups were formed as fully littered (FL), fully slatted (FS), 1/3 littered + 2/3 slatted (2/3 SF), 1/2 littered + 1/2 slatted (1/2SF), 2/3 littered + 1/3 slatted (1/3 SF). Each treatment group included 5 replicates (24 chicks in each) and a total of 600 male-female mixed fast growing broiler chicks (Ross-308) were used during 6 weeks. Weekly body weight (BW, g), feed intake (FI, g), feed conversion ratio (FCR, g.feed intake/g.weight gain), livability (%) and EPEF (European Production Efficiency Factor) were determined as performance characteristics. Carcass yield (CY, %), and the percentages of abdominal fat (AFP, %), edible internal organs (EIOP, %), gizzard (GP, %), breast (BRP, %) and thigh (TP, %) meat were the carcass characteristics. Meat quality measured by pH and color (L*: lightness, a*: redness, b*: yellowness) of breast and thigh meat, and occurrence of white striping and hemorrhaging in breast meat. The weekly BW differences among the floor treatments were significant (P < 0.01), and 1/3SF broilers were the heaviest at slaughter age (3311.6 g). The 6-week FCR in FS broilers was significantly worse than the others (1.471), but FI, livability and EPEF were similar among treatments. AFP tended to be higher in FL birds (P = 0.066), while CY, EIOP, GP, BRP and TP did not differ between groups. Breast pH was similar between treatments, with 1/2SF showing the highest (6.34) and FL the lowest (6.24) breast pH (P < 0.01). The partially slatted systems caused lighter, redder and yellower color values in breast meat (P < 0.01) than the fully littered or slatted systems, but did not change the color of the thigh meat. White striping and hemorrhaging in breast meat were not affected by the floor treatments. This study suggests that the use of partially slatted systems in broiler chickens improves meat color without compromising performance traits (body weight, feed efficiency, EPEF), litter moisture and slaughter traits and these systems could be an alternative to fully littered systems.