A halothane challenge test to detect turkeys prone to developing pale, soft, and exudative meat

Abstract

The turkey industry suffers from pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat that is unsuitable for further processing due to excessive color variation, poor meat binding, and depressed water holding ability. This condition is caused by accelerated postmortem muscle metabolism and is thought to be related to a similar inherited condition in swine. A quick, non-destructive method of screening animals is needed to avoid further propagation of PSE in breeding flocks. In this study, a halothane challenge test used with swine was evaluated as a possible detection method for PSE-susceptible turkeys. In experiment one, a commercial strain of four week old male turkeys (n= 1 16) was exposed to 3% halothane gas for 3 min (6 liters/min) and examined for leg muscle rigidity. Experiment two followed similar testing measures, using two strains of growth selected turkeys (n=504). Measurements of pH, R-value, color, and free water content were made from each bird's breast fillet to determine if the muscles of the responding birds would develop PSE characteristics. Five percent of tested birds in the first experiment and two percent in the second experiment exhibited rigid legs, but the data indicated that the characteristics of muscles from these birds did not differ from those of the non-responding birds (P<.05). The existence of differences between birds in their response to halothane suggests some of the discriminating power of this test. Possibly, the birds may need to be screened or slaughtered at a different age or using different methods.