The use of halothane and succinylcholine to identify broilers prone to developing pale, soft, exudative meat

Poultry Science
L C CavittC M Owens

Abstract

Within the last several years, the poultry industry has seen a dramatic increase in the occurrence of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat. This problem is known to be associated with a rapid decline in postmortem (PM) muscle pH, which results in inferior protein functionality similar to that found in PSE pork. Many factors such as seasonal changes have been known to influence the occurrence of PSE meat in poultry and swine. Halothane and succinylcholine have been used within the pork industry to identify animals susceptible to stress and prone to developing PSE meat. The mechanism for the triggering of the PSE gene in poultry has not been fully understood. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of screening broilers with halothane to identify those prone to developing PSE meat. Succinylcholine was used before slaughter to serve as a triggering agent for the PSE condition. At 4 wk of age, broilers from 4 commercial strains (n = 1,000) were subjected to 3% halothane gas and classified as either halothane positive (HAL+) or negative (HAL-) based on muscle rigidity within the legs. Although halothane sensitivity varied slightly among the strains, approximately 14% of the birds overall were classified as HA...Continue Reading

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