Comparison of some meat and liver quality traits in Muscovy and Pekin ducks

The objective of the study was to compare Muscovy and Pekin ducks for proximate analysis, colour attributes, tenderness, meat microstructure, and content of some minerals in meat and liver. The material of the study was sexed 51 Muscovy ducks and 47 Pekin ducks. At the end of the rearing period, 40 birds were selected for dissection. Duck genotype influenced the content of water, protein, fat, collagen, zinc, iron, haematin, and redness, chroma, hue angle, WB shear force, muscle fibre diameter and density of the breast muscle, and also protein, fat, magnesium, iron, haematin content, WB shear force and lightness of the leg muscle. The sex of ducks had an impact on the content of water, protein, fat, potassium, copper, on redness, chroma and muscle fibre diameter of breast muscle, and on water, protein, fat, sodium, potassium, magnesium and copper in liver content of the leg muscle. The genotype-sex interaction was significant for water, protein and sodium content, redness, chroma of breast muscles; for water, protein, sodium, magnesium and haematin content, redness and chroma of leg muscles; and for phosphorus content in the liver. Muscovy ducks had more favourable chemical composition and poorer tenderness and microstructural characteristics compared to the meat of Pekin ducks.