AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE PERCENTAGE CONTENT OF CARCASS PARTS IN GEESE

The experimental materials consisted of Koluda White geese, 128 males and 128 females, raised for 12 weeks and fed standard diets ad libitum. Starting from the second week, 28 birds (sex ratio 1: 1) were slaughtered at 14-day intervals. Chilled carcasses were dissected into neck, wings, legs, breast and back. Over the experimental period, the body weights of males and females increased on average from 158 g and 112 g on the first day to 5483 g and 5045 g at 12 weeks, respectively. Sexual dimorphism was observed from 4 weeks of age, both in body weight and carcass weight. At the initial growth stage, the percentage content of wings in the carcass increased rapidly (from 5.03% at 2 weeks to 17.44% at 6 weeks), while the proportion of legs decreased (from 40.5% at 2 weeks to 25.55% at 8 weeks). Breast percentage showed a growing tendency (from 19.38% at 2 weeks to 32.70% at 12 weeks), whereas neck and back - a falling one (from 10.13 and 24.96% to 7.73 and 19.61%, respectively).