Age-related changes in carcass composition, physicochemical properties, texture and microstructure of meat from White King pigeons

1. An experiment was conducted to explore the age-related changes in carcass composition, physicochemical properties, texture and microstructure of meat from White King pigeons. The study used 32 carcasses collected from White King pigeons (16 aged 4 weeks and 16 aged 180 weeks).2. The 180-week-old White King pigeons had a higher percentage of eviscerated carcass characteristics. The 4-week-old pigeons were characterised by higher percentage of skin with subcutaneous fat and carcass remainders. There were significant differences in chemical and physicochemical characteristics as well as in texture and microstructure parameters amongst White King pigeons of different ages.3. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the age of White King pigeons has a considerable impact on carcass composition, physicochemical properties, meat texture and microstructure. Older pigeons had higher percentages of eviscerated carcass components, which may reflect maturation, while younger pigeons had greater proportions of fat and carcass remainders. These findings suggest that age-related changes should be considered when evaluating meat quality and composition, as each age group presented distinct characteristics.