title: Growth pattern and carcase development in male ducks selected for growth rate.
abstract: 1. Growth patterns of the whole body, eviscerated carcases, breast muscle, leg and thigh muscles and abdominal fat pads were compared in 4 lines (Lines A, B, C, and D) of male ducks selected for market weight (n = 1305) using growth curve analysis, allometric growth analysis and repeated measure analysis. At 49 d of age, Line A was heaviest, followed by Line B, Line C and Line D. 2. Ducks were fed ad libitum under 24-h lighting and 12 or 24 ducks were killed to determine body, carcase, breast-muscle, leg and thigh-muscle, and abdominal fat weights at time points from hatching until 53 d of age. 3. The Weibull function was chosen for growth curve analysis. The asymptote and inflection point from the Weibull growth curves identified 3 lines (Lines B, C, and D) with discrete body and carcase growth patterns but did not distinguish Line A from Line B. In all 4 lines the asymptote ranged from 4437 g to 3008 g for body weight and from 3334 g to 2098 g for carcase weight; the inflection point ranged from 22.5 d to 25.3 d for body weight and from 25.4 d to 29.6 d for carcase weight. 4. The allometric growth coefficient, relative to whole-body growth, was higher than 1.00 for breast muscle and lower than 1.00 for leg and thigh muscles during from 4 d to 53 d of age. 5. Body fat accumulation was estimated by abdominal fat. Line D accumulated more abdominal fat than other lines. The pattern of fat accumulation in Line D was different from Lines A, B and C and there were no differences between Lines A, B and C.
authors.affiliation: USDA, ARS, Gene Evaluation and Mapping Laboratory Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Turk
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004372:Ducks / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D024510:Muscle Development; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D009929:Organ Size; D013045:Species Specificity